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diff --git a/41118-0.txt b/41118-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..567f83e --- /dev/null +++ b/41118-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3430 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41118 *** + +HISTORIC HIGHWAYS OF AMERICA + +VOLUME 5 + + + + + HISTORIC HIGHWAYS OF AMERICA + VOLUME 5 + + The Old Glade (Forbes's) Road + (PENNSYLVANIA STATE ROAD) + + BY + ARCHER BUTLER HULBERT + + _With Maps and Illustrations_ + + [Illustration] + + THE ARTHUR H. CLARK COMPANY + CLEVELAND, OHIO + 1903 + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1903 + BY + THE ARTHUR H. CLARK COMPANY + + ALL RIGHTS RESERVED + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + PREFACE 9 + I. THE OLD TRADING PATH 15 + II. A BLOOD-RED FRONTIER 35 + III. THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1758 65 + IV. THE OLD OR A NEW ROAD? 81 + V. THE NEW ROAD 124 + VI. THE MILITARY ROAD TO THE WEST 163 + VII. THE PENNSYLVANIA ROAD 190 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + I. SHIPPEN'S DRAUGHT OF THE MONONGAHELA AND YOUGHIOGHENY + RIVERS, AND BRADDOCK'S ROAD (1759) 29 + + II. FRONTIER FORTS AND BLOCKHOUSES IN 1756 51 + + III. FORBES'S ROAD TO RAYSTOWN (1757) 103 + + IV. THE REMAINS OF BOUQUET'S REDOUBT AT FORT PITT 184 + + + + +PREFACE + + +When General Edward Braddock landed in Virginia in 1755, one of his +first acts in his campaign upon the Ohio was to urge Governor Morris to +have a road opened westward through Pennsylvania. His reason for wishing +another road, parallel to the one his own army was to cut, was that +there might be a shorter route than his own to the northern colonies, +over which his expresses might pass speedily, and over which wagons +might come more quickly from Pennsylvania--then the "granary of +America." + +It was inevitable that the shortest route from the center of the +colonies to the Ohio would become the most important. The road Braddock +asked Morris to open was completed only three miles beyond the present +town of Bedford, Pennsylvania, when the road choppers hurried home on +receipt of the news of Braddock's defeat. + +Braddock made a death-bed prophecy; it was that the British would do +better next time. In 1758 Pitt placed Braddock's unfulfilled task on the +shoulders of Brigadier-general John Forbes, who marched to Bedford on +the new road opened by Morris; thence he opened, along the general +alignment of the prehistoric "Trading Path," a new road to the Ohio. It +was a desperate undertaking; but Forbes completed his campaign in +November, 1758 triumphantly--at the price of his life. + +This road, fortified at Carlisle, Shippensburg, Chambersburg, Loudon, +Littleton, Bedford, Ligonier, and Pittsburg became the great military +route from the Atlantic seaboard to the trans-Allegheny empire. By it +Fort Pitt was relieved during Pontiac's rebellion and the Ohio Indians +were brought to terms. Throughout the Revolutionary War this road was +the main thoroughfare over which the western forts received ammunition +and supplies. In the dark days of the last decade of the eighteenth +century, when the Kentucky and Ohio pioneers were fighting for the +foothold they had obtained in the West, this road played a vital part. + +When the need for it passed, Forbes's Road, too, passed away. Two great +railways, on either side, run westward following waterways which the old +road assiduously avoided--keeping to the high ground between them. +Between these new and fast courses of human traffic the old Glade Road +lies along the hills, and, in the dust or in the snow, marks the course +of armies which won a way through the mountains and made possible our +westward expansion. + +The "Old Glade Road," the old-time name of the Youghiogheny division +(Burd's or the "Turkey Foot" Road) of this thoroughfare, has been +selected as the title of this volume, as more distinctive than the +"Pennsylvania Road," which would apply to numerous highways. + + A. B. H. + +MARIETTA, OHIO, December 30, 1902. + + + + +The Old Glade (Forbes's) Road + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE OLD TRADING PATH + + +When, in the middle of the eighteenth century, intelligent white men +were beginning to cross the Allegheny Mountains and enter the Ohio +basin, one of the most practicable routes was found to be an old trading +path which ran almost directly west from Philadelphia to the present +site of Pittsburg. According to the Indians it was the easiest route +from the Atlantic slope through the dense laurel wildernesses to the +Ohio.[1] The course of this path is best described by the route of the +old state road of Pennsylvania to Pittsburg built in the first +half-decade succeeding the Revolutionary War. This road passed through +Shippensburg, Carlisle, Bedford, Ligonier, and Greensburg; the Old +Trading Path passed, in general, through the same points. Comparing +this path, which became Forbes's Road, with Nemacolin's path which ran +parallel with it, converging on the same point on the Ohio, one might +say that the former was the overland path, and the latter, strictly +speaking, a portage path. The Old Trading Path offered no portage +between streams, as Nemacolin's path did between the Potomac and +Monongahela. It kept on higher, dryer ground and crossed no river of +importance. This made it the easiest and surest course; in the wintry +season, when the Youghiogheny and Monongahela and their tributaries were +out of banks, the Old Trading Path must have been by far the safest +route to the Ohio; it kept to the high ground between the Monongahela +and Allegheny. It was the high ground over which this path ran that the +unfortunate Braddock attempted to reach after crossing the Youghiogheny +at Stewart's Crossing. The deep ravines drove him back. There is little +doubt he would have been successful had he reached this watershed and +proceeded to Fort Duquesne upon the Old Trading Path. + +As is true of so many great western routes, so of this path--the bold +Christopher Gist was the first white man of importance to leave reliable +record of it. In 1750 he was employed to go westward for the Ohio +Company. His outward route, only, is of importance here.[2] On +Wednesday, October 31, he departed from Colonel Cresap's near +Cumberland, Maryland and proceeded "along an old old Indian Path N 30 E +about 11 Miles."[3] This led him along the foot of the Great Warrior +Mountain, through the Flintstone district of Allegheny County, Maryland. +The path ran onward into Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and through +Warrior's Gap to the Juniata River. Here, near the old settlement Bloody +Run, now Everett, the path joined the well-worn thoroughfare running +westward familiarly known as the "Old Trading Path." Eight miles +westward of this junction, near the present site of Bedford, a +well-known trail to the Allegheny valley left the Old Trading Path and +passed through the Indian Frank's Town and northwest to the French +Venango--Franklin, Pennsylvania. Leaving this on his right, Gist pushed +on west over the Old Trading Path. "Snow and such bad Weather" made his +progress slow; from the fifth to the ninth he spent between what are now +Everett in Bedford County and Stoyestown in Somerset County.[4] On the +eleventh he crossed the north and east Forks of Quemahoning--often +called "Cowamahony" in early records.[5] On the twelfth he "crossed a +great Laurel Mountain"--Laurel Hill. On the fourteenth he "set out N 45 +W 6 M to Loylhannan an old Indian Town on a Creek of Ohio called +Kiscominatis, then N 1 M NW 1 M to an Indian's Camp on the said +Creek."[6] The present town of Ligonier, Westmoreland County, occupies +the site of this Indian settlement. "Laurel-hanne, signifying the middle +stream in the Delaware tongue. The stream here is half way between the +Juniata at Bedford and the Ohio [Pittsburg]."[7] Between here and the +Ohio, Gist mentions no proper names. The path ran northwest from the +present site of Ligonier, through Chestnut Ridge "at the Miller's Run +Gap, and reached the creek again at the Big Bottom below the present +town of Latrobe on the Pennsylvania Central Railway; there the trail +forked ... the main trail [traveled by Gist], led directly westward to +Shannopin's Town, by a course parallel with and a few miles north of the +Pennsylvania Railway."[8] + +The following table of distances from Carlisle to Pittsburg was +presented to the Pennsylvania Council March 2, 1754: + + MILES + From Carlisle to Major Montour's 10 + From Montour's to Jacob Pyatt's 25 + From Pyatt's to George Croghan's at Aucquick Old Town[9] 15 + From Croghan's to the Three Springs 10 + From the Three Springs to Sideling Hill 7 + From Sideling Hill to Contz's Harbour 8 + From Contz's Harbour to the top of Ray's Hill 1 + From Ray's Hill to the 1 crossing of Juniata[10] 10 + From 1 crossing of Juniata to Allaquapy's Gap[11] 6 + From Allaquapy's Gap to Ray's town[12] 5 + From Ray's town to the Shawonese Cabbin[13] 8 + From Shawonese Cabbins to the Top of Allegheny Mountain 8 + From Allegheny Mountain to Edmund's Swamp[14] 8 + From Edmund's Swamp to Cowamahony Creek[15] 6 + From Cowamahony to Kackanapaulins 5 + From Kackanapaulins To Loyal Hanin[16] foot Ray's Hill 18 + From Loyal Hanin to Shanoppin's Town[17] 50 + +By this early measurement the total distance between Carlisle to +Pittsburg by the Indian path was one hundred and ninety miles; +ninety-seven miles from Carlisle to Raystown and ninety-three miles from +Raystown to Pittsburg.[18] When it is remembered that this was the +original Indian track totally uninfluenced by the white man's attention +it is interesting to note that the great state road of Pennsylvania from +Carlisle to Pittsburg, laid out in 1785, so nearly followed the Indian +route that its length between those points (in 1819) was just one +hundred and ninety-seven miles--seven miles longer[19] than that of the +prehistoric trace of Indian and buffalo. Perhaps there is no more +significant instance of the practicability of Indian routes in the +United States than this. The very fact that the Indian path was not very +much shorter than the first state road shows that it was distinctively a +utilitarian course. One interested in this significant comparison will +be glad to compare the courses of the old path and that of the state +road as given by the compass.[20] + +Other references to the Old Trading Path are made by such traders as +George Croghan and John Harris. Croghan wrote to Richard Peters, March +23, 1754: "The road we now travel ... from Laurel Hill to Shanopens +(near the forks of the Ohio), is but 46 miles, as the road now goes, +which I suppose may be 30 odd miles on a straight line."[21] In an +"Account of the Road to Loggs Town on Allegheny River, taken by John +Harris, 1754" this itinerary is given: + + "From Ray's Town to the Shawana Cabbins 8 M + To Edmund's Swamp 8 M + To Stoney Creek 6 M + To Kickener Paulin's House, (Indian) 6 M + To the Clear Fields 7 M + To the other side of the Laurel Hill 5 M + To Loyal Haning 6 M + To the Big Bottom 8 M + To the Chestnut Ridge 8 M + To the parting of the Road[22] 4 M + Thence one Road leads to Shannopin's Town the other to + Kisscomenettes, old Town."[23] + +So much for the Old Trading Path before the memorable year of 1755. It +is significant that the route had already been "surveyed"; Pennsylvania +herself desired a share of the Indian trade which Virginia hoped to +monopolize through her Ohio Company, which already had storehouses built +at Wills Creek on the Cumberland and at Redstone Old Fort on the +Monongahela. But with the beginning of hostilities with the French, +precipitated by Washington and his Virginians in 1754, the Indian trade +was now completely at a standstill. + +General Braddock and his army which was destined to march westward and +capture Fort Duquesne arrived at Alexandria, Virginia, February 20, +1755. Already Braddock's deputy quartermaster-general, Sir John St. +Clair, had passed through Maryland and Virginia and had decided upon the +route of the army to Fort Cumberland, the point of rendezvous. Four days +after Braddock reached Alexandria, Governor Morris of Pennsylvania +received a letter from St. Clair asking him to "open a road toward the +head of Youghheagang or any other way that is nearer the French forts," +in order that the stores to be supplied by the northern colonies might +take a shorter course than by way of the roads then being opened through +Maryland and Virginia.[24] Morris immediately replied "... there is no +Waggon Road from Carlisle West through the Mountains but only a Horse +Path, by which the Indian Traders used to carry their Goods and Skins to +and from the Ohio while that Trade remained open."[25] Though Morris +usually made requests of the assembly in vain, the request concerning +this road was granted, and Morris was empowered, in the middle of March, +to open a road "through Carlisle and Shippensburg to the Yoijogain, and +to the camp at Will Creek."[26] He immediately appointed George Croghan, +John Armstrong, James Burd, William Buchannan, and Adam Hoops to find a +road to the three forks of the Youghiogheny--or "Turkey Foot" as the +spot was familiarly known on the frontier. On April 29 Burd reported as +follows to Morris: "... We have viewed and layed out the Roads leading +from hence to the Yohiogain and the camp at Will's Creek, and enclosed +You have the Draughts thereof.... We have dispersed our Advertisements +through the Counties of Lancaster, York, and Cumberland, to encourage +Labourers to come to Work, and We intend to set off to begin to clear up +on Monday first."[27] Thus, slowly, the Old Trading Path was widened +into a rough roadway westward from Carlisle. On May 26, John Armstrong +wrote Governor Morris that there were over a hundred choppers at +work.[28] Five days later Burd wrote Richard Peters that there were one +hundred and fifty at work; but he adds, ominously: "The People are all +anxious to have arms, and if You can procure me arms I would not trouble +the General for a cover; but if you can't they will not be willing to go +past Ray's Town without a guard."[29] Little wonder: the van of +Braddock's army had struck westward into the Alleghenies the day before +this was written, and already the woods were full of spies sent out by +the French, and many massacres had been reported. The horses and wagons +which Franklin had secured for Braddock comprised almost his whole +equipment. These had gone to Fort Cumberland by the old "Monocasy Road" +and Watkins Ferry.[30] + +On the twelfth of June Allison and Maxwell wrote Richard Peters that +"Sideling Hill," sixty-seven miles west of Carlisle, and thirty miles +east of Raystown, "is cut very artificially, nay more so than We ever +saw any; the first waggon that carried a Load up it took fifteen Hundred +without ever stopping;" there were, however, many discouragements--"for +four Days the Labourers had not one Glass of Liquor!"[31] On June 15 +William Buchannan reported that the road was cleared to Raystown.[32] +But some of the wagons were "pretty much damnified." On the seventeenth +Edward Shippen wrote Morris from Lancaster: "I understand Mr. Burd has +cut the Road 5 Miles beyond Ray's Town, which is 90 Miles from +Shippensburg."[33] On the twenty-first General Braddock wrote as follows +to Governor Morris from Bear Camp (seven miles west of Little +Crossings): "As it is perfectly understood here in what Part the Road +making in your Province is to communicate w^{th} that thro' w^{ch} I am +now proceeding to Fort Du Quesne, I must beg that you and Mr Peters will +immediately settle it, and send an express on Purpose after me with the +most exact Description of it, that there may be no Mistake in a Matter +of so much Importance."[34] On July 3 Morris wrote Burd, who was in +command of the working party, concerning this request of Braddock's. He +takes it "for granted ... that the Road must pass the Turkey Foot ... +and that there cou'd be no Road got to the Northward." Under such +circumstances he affirmed that the nearest course to Braddock's Road +would be a straight line from Turkey Foot (Confluence, Pennsylvania) to +the Great Crossings of the Youghiogheny (Smithfield, Pennsylvania). He +asked Burd to settle this point and send his decision immediately to +Braddock.[35] + +[Illustration: SHIPPEN'S DRAUGHT OF THE MONONGAHELA AND YOUGHIOGHENY +RIVERS AND BRADDOCK'S ROAD (1759) (_Great Crossings was the intended +junction of Paddock's Road and Burd's_) + +(_From the original in possession of Pennsylvania Historical Society_)] + +The working party on the Pennsylvania road was attacked early in July +and needed every one of the five score men whom Braddock had been able +to spare for their protection.[36] + +Burd replied[37] from the "Top of the Alleghanies" on July 17, while +still in ignorance of Braddock's utter rout: "At present I can't form +any Judgment where I shall cut the General's Road, further than I know +our Course leads us to the Turkey Foot, By the Information of Mr. +Croghan when we run the Road first. Mr. Croghan assured me he wou'd be +on the Road with me in order to pilott from the Place where we left off +blaizeing. Instead of that he has never been here, nor is there one Man +in my Company that ever was out this Way to the Turkey Foot, But the +Party I send will discover the Place where we shall cut the Road and +inform the General, and upon their return I will order 'em to blaize +back to me." + +The news of Braddock's defeat came slowly to the cutters of this +historic roadway from central Pennsylvania to the Youghiogheny. On +Tuesday night, July 15, a messenger was sent to them from Fort +Cumberland, who arrived the night of the day the above letter was +written.[38] Dunbar wrote Morris from "near ye great Crossings" on the +sixteenth: "I have sent an Express to Captain Hogg, who is covering the +People cutting Your New Road, as I can't think his advancing that Way +safe, to retire immediately."[39] Burd reported to Morris from +Shippensburg July 25, that his party had retreated to Fort Cumberland +from the top of Allegheny Mountain July 17; "St Clair told Me," he +added, tentatively, "that I had done my Duty." He had left before +Dunbar's messenger had arrived.[40] + +Such is the first chapter of the story of the white man's occupation of +the Old Trading Path and the Old Glade Road--the name commonly applied +to the portion which Burd opened from the main path from where it +diverged four miles west of Bedford to the summit of Allegheny Mountain. +This branch was also known as the "Turkey Foot Road."[41] The Old +Trading Path was now a white man's road from Carlisle to Bedford and +four miles beyond. But the tide of war now set over the mountains after +Braddock's defeat, putting an end to any improvement of the new rough +road that was opened. Yet not all the ground gained was to be lost. +Governor Shirley, now in command, wildly ordered Dunbar to move westward +again to retrieve Braddock's mistakes, but sanely added, that, in the +case of defeat "You are to make the most proper Disposition of his +Majesties' Forces to cover the Frontiers of the Provinces, particularly +at the Towns of Shippensburg and Carlisle, and at or near a place called +McDowell's Mill, where the New Road to the Allegheny Mountains begins +in Pennsylvania, from the Incursions of the Enemy until you shall +receive further orders."[42] + +Was this a hint that Braddock had been sent by a wrong route and that +his successor would march to Fort Duquesne over the Old Trading Path? + + + + +CHAPTER II + +A BLOOD-RED FRONTIER + + +There is no truer picture of the dark days of 1755-56 along the +frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia than that presented in the +correspondence of Washington at this time. A great burden fell upon his +young shoulders with the failure of the campaigns of 1755. Though far +from being at fault, he suffered greatly through the faults and failures +of others. The British army had come and had been routed. Now, after +such a victory as the Indians had never dreamed possible, the Virginia +and Pennsylvania frontiers, five hundred miles in length, lay helpless +before the bands of bold marauders drunk with the blood of Braddock's +slain. + +The young colonel of the remnant of the Virginia Regiment took up the +difficult task of defending the southern frontier as readily as though a +quiet, happy life on his rich farms was an alternative as impossible as +alluring. But perhaps a bleeding border-land never in the world needed a +twenty-three year old lad more than Virginia now needed her young son. A +flood-tide of murder and pillage swept over the Alleghenies. The raids +of the savages brought the people to their senses, as the most terrible +of tales came in from the frontier. But soon the question arose, "Where +is the frontier?" The great track Braddock had opened for the conquest +of the Ohio valley became the pathway of his conquerors, and soon Fort +Cumberland, the frontier post, was far in the enemies' country. The +Indians soon found Burd's road on the summit of the Alleghenies and +poured over it by Raystown toward Carlisle and Shippensburg. Each day +brought the line of settlements nearer and nearer the populous portions +of Virginia and Pennsylvania, until Winchester became an endangered +outpost and fears were entertained for Lancaster and York. Hundreds now +who had refused the despairing Braddock horses and wagons saw their +wives and children murdered and their homesteads burned to the ground. + +Whether Dunbar did right or wrong in hurrying back to Virginia, it was a +bitter day for Virginia and Pennsylvania. When his army hastened from +the frontier, it became the prey of the foes whose appetite that army +had whetted. Yet Shirley, reconsidering his former scheme, ordered +Dunbar to New York. After drawing the full fire of the French and +Indians upon Virginia and Pennsylvania, this army was sent to New York. + +Looking backward, with the stern years 1775-82 in mind, it is easy to +see that then, in 1755, Pennsylvania and Virginia were to be put through +a hard school for a glorious purpose. They were to be trained in the art +of war. Of it they had known practically nothing. They had no effective +militia. Of military ethics they had no dream. They knew not what +obedience meant and could not understand delegated authority. Their +liberty was license or nothing. Of the power of organization, +concentration, discipline, routine, and method they were almost as +ignorant as their redskinned enemies. Although the men of New England +had not been given such great obstacles to overcome, it is undoubtedly +true that their militia was far more adequate than anything of which +Pennsylvania or Virginia knew, at least until 1758.[43] And yet Braddock +died cursing his regulars and extolling the colonials! + +Washington was elected commander-in-chief in Virginia on his own +dignified terms; the army was increased to sixteen companies and L40,000 +were voted for general defense. By October the young commander was at +Winchester, where he faced a situation desperate and appalling. The +country-side was terror-stricken, and few could be found even for +defense; many chose "to die with their wives and families." The few +score men who attempted to stem the tide of retreat were almost +powerless. "No orders are obeyed," Washington wrote Dinwiddie, "but such +as a party of soldiers, or my own drawn sword enforces." Such was the +frenzy of the retreat of the frontier population that threats were made +"to blow out the brains" of all in authority who opposed them. But the +young commander continued undaunted. He impressed men and horses and +wagons, and sent them hurrying for flour and musket-balls and flints; he +compelled men to erect little fortresses to which the people might flee. + +Not the least of his trials--undoubtedly the most discouraging--was the +faithlessness of the troops sent out by Governor Dinwiddie upon the +reeking frontier. Many of them were themselves panic-stricken and fled +back with the rabble. The whole militia regime was inadequate; there was +no authority of sufficient weight vested in the commanding officers to +enable them to deal even with insolence, much less desertion. "I must +assume the freedom," Washington wrote the governor, "to express some +surprise, that we alone should be so tenacious of our liberty as not to +invest a power, where interest and policy so unanswerably demand it.... +Do we not know, that every nation under the sun finds its account +therein, and that, without it, no order or regularity can be observed? +Why then should it be expected from us, who are all young and +inexperienced, to govern and keep up a proper spirit of discipline +without laws, when the best and most experienced can scarcely do it with +them?" + +As the winter of 1755-6 approached, the Indian atrocities ceased and for +a few months there was quiet. But by early spring the raids were renewed +with merciless regularity. Every day brought a new tale of murder and +pillage; and very soon every road was filled with fugitives "bringing to +Winchester fresh dismay." + +With his few men this first hero of Winchester (who by the way was at +his post, not "twenty miles away") was again straining every nerve that +Virginia might not lose the great stretch of beautiful country west of +the Blue Ridge. "The supplicating tears of women and moving petitions +of the men, melt me into such deadly sorrow, that I solemnly declare, if +I know my own mind, I could offer myself a willing sacrifice to the +butchering enemy, provided that would contribute to the people's ease." +Perhaps the vacillating Dinwiddie threw this letter down as too ardent a +one for a military hand to pen; if so Edward Everett has raised it aloft +to show his thrilled audiences "the whole man" Washington. "The +inhabitants are removing daily," he again wrote--"... in a short time +will leave this country as desolate as Hampshire." To such a degree were +the people terrified that secret meetings were held where leaders openly +spoke of making terms with the French and Indians by renouncing all +claims to the West--no less traitors to the best good of the colonies +than those who celebrated over Braddock's defeat.[44] + +The campaign of 1756, as conducted by Shirley, contained no hope of +relief for Pennsylvania or Virginia; "so much am I kept in the dark," +Washington exclaimed, "that I do not know whether to prepare for the +offensive or defensive; yet what might be absolutely necessary in the +one, would be quite useless in the other." He well knew a determined +stroke at Fort Duquesne, "a floodgate to open ruin and woe," was the +only hope of the southern and central colonies. In the meantime he led a +desperately exasperating life attempting to hold the frontier with his +tatterdemalion army by following Pennsylvania's example of building a +line of forts to defend the country. There was no destitution or +distress of which he did not know; at times he was begging for blankets +to cover his naked soldiers, and again for shoes and shirts; there were +few guns in a state of repair and at times in days of danger hundreds +flocked to him who could neither be fed nor armed. His life must have +been known to Lord Fairfax who wrote in the following strain: "Such a +medley of undisciplined militia must create you various troubles, but +having Caesar's Commentaries and perhaps Quintus Curtius, you have +therein read of greater fatigues, murmurings, mutinies, and defections, +than will probably come to your share." The fact is, in these days +there was no officer's duty with which Washington was not acquainted. He +supervised the building of forts, the transportation of stores and guns +and ammunition, here reprimanding a coarse mountaineer for profanity, +there leading the scouts as they threshed a mountain for lurking +Delawares; he personally hurried off wagons to endangered outposts with +flour and powder, and then listened to and quieted the fears of frantic +women and men. + +Is the splendid lesson of these years clear? By Providential +dispensation these colonies were a miniature of the America of 1775, +suddenly thrown upon its own resources and in war. The divine hand is +not more clearly seen in our national development than in the struggle +of the colonies between 1745 and 1763, which prepared a nation for the +hour her independence should strike. And now it was that Washington, +Gates, Mercer, Gladwin, Lewis, Putnam, Crawford, Gibson, Stephen, St. +Clair, and Stewart learned for themselves and then taught their +countrymen to fight; now Washington found what it meant to be the +commander of bare-foot armies, already a hero of two defeats, he was yet +to play the hero in bitter, pitiful extremities, to become a dogged +believer in hopeless, last alternatives, a burden-bearer for hundreds of +homeless ones--a people's mainstay when other men were faltering. Now, +as in 1775, his task was to rouse a people only half awake to the +crisis; to demonstrate the superiority of wisely ordered liberty over +license, and the inferiority of personal independence compared with a +unity made strong through faithful cooeperation, and hallowed by mutual +self-sacrifice. And fortunate it was for all the colonies that England +compelled them to learn how to carry war's heavy harness now, against +the day when they should be assailed by something more disastrously +fatal to the cause of liberty than savages fired to murder and pillage +by French brandy. + +In all these wild days, the old path westward from Shippensburg and +Carlisle was often crowded with fugitives fleeing from the reeking +frontier, and, quite as often, shrouded in a cloud of dust raised by +squads of wan militia hastening westward to the defense of the +outposts. Though no officer guarding this strategic passage-way became +endeared to his countrymen as Washington, here heroism and devotion were +displayed, if ever on this continent. The plans of England during these +years will be described elsewhere, but it is to our purpose to know now +that for the present she deserted the southern provinces; that she was +"willing to wait for the rains to wet the powder, and rats to eat the +bow-strings of the enemy, rather than attempt to drive them from her +[southern] frontiers." Until 1756 the matter of the defense of the +Pennsylvania frontier was left almost entirely to individual initiative. +But already the road through Carlisle and Shippensburg had been +fortified. Fort Lowther was erected in Carlisle as early as 1753. It was +an important post on the route to Virginia, over which the wagons and +horses raised by Franklin for Braddock, were, in part, forwarded to Fort +Cumberland. Here Governor Morris came, to be in closer touch with +Braddock, and here the news of the defeat reached him. + +Fort Franklin was erected on the old road at Shippensburg, twenty miles +west of Carlisle and thirty-six from Harris Ferry (Harrisburg). It was +built sometime previous to Braddock's time but was not used after 1756. +Ten miles further on at Falling Springs (Chambersburg) there was no +fortification in 1755, nor was there one at Loudoun (Loudon) thirteen +miles west of that point. Two miles south of Fort Loudoun Morris erected +a deposit at McDowell's Mill (Bridgeport, Franklin County) but, though +the spot was well known on the frontier, there seems to have been no +regular fort there until 1756.[45] It was at this point that the new +road toward Raystown diverged westward from the main road running south +to Virginia. This junction was considered a strategic point by the time +of Braddock's defeat, as shown by Shirley's order to Dunbar quoted at +the close of the last chapter. + +Up to the time of Braddock's defeat the Pennsylvania Assembly had done +nothing toward the preservation of the colony, save ordering the road +cut from Carlisle to the Youghiogheny river. They furnished not a man +for Braddock's army and voted not a pound toward the expense of securing +the wagons and horses which made Braddock's march possible. The stores +which Governor Morris laid in along the line of the road, at +Shippensburg and McDowell's Mill, were secured and forwarded without aid +from the Assembly. Though many Pennsylvanians served, in one way or +another, in the unfortunate expedition, the public was divided on this +issue. Some were loyal to the Assembly and many favored warlike +measures. It has been asserted that had not Forbes's Road been built in +1758 its building would have been postponed twenty years. + +Passing this interesting speculation, it is sure Braddock's defeat +brought to Pennsylvania a terrible and bloody awakening; nothing can +show this more strikingly than the fact that when Braddock's successor +came, only three years later, the Pennsylvania Assembly quickly +supported him by voting twenty-seven hundred men for offensive service +and appropriating half a million dollars for war. + +The change was not more striking than was the need for it. All the +terrifying scenes in Virginia were reproduced in Pennsylvania; the +savages poured through the mountain gaps and fell with unparalleled fury +upon a hundred defenseless settlements. Pennsylvania had not expanded +further at this time than to the Blue Mountains. Her frontier was not, +therefore, nearly as broad as Virginia's, and the frontier firing-line +was not so far removed from the populated districts. At the same time it +is probable that the Indians from Logstown and Kittanning could get a +scalp quicker (so far as distance was concerned) from Pennsylvania than +from Virginia--and the French paid as much for one as for the other! + +Late in 1756 the Pennsylvania Assembly, now awakened to the condition of +affairs caused by their shortsighted, prejudiced policy, took the matter +of protection of the frontier into their own hands. Failing to furnish +the ounce of prevention, they came quickly with the pound of cure. A +chain of forts was planned which, stretching along the barrier wall of +the Blue Mountains from the Potomac to the Delaware, should guard the +more prominent gaps. "Sometimes the chain of defenses ran on the south +side, and frequently both sides of the mountains were occupied, as the +needs of the population demanded. Some of these forts consisted of the +defenses previously erected by the settlers, which were available for +the purpose, and of which the government took possession, while others +were newly erected. Almost without exception they were composed of a +stockade of heavy planks, inclosing a space of ground more or less +extensive, on which were built from one to four blockhouses, pierced +with loopholes for musketry, and occupied as quarters by the soldiers +and refugee settlers. In addition to these regular forts it became +necessary at various points where depredations were most frequent, to +have subsidiary places of defense and refuge, which were also garrisoned +by soldiers and which generally comprised farmhouses, selected because +of their superior strength and convenient location, around which the +usual stockade was thrown, or occasionally blockhouses erected for the +purpose. The soldiers who garrisoned these forts were provincial troops, +which almost without exception were details from the First Battalion of +the Pennsylvania Regiment, under the command of that brave and energetic +officer, Lt. Colonel Conrad Weiser."[46] The appended map is a +photograph of the original which was made in this year, 1756--for the +forts of 1757 are not included. It is of particular interest because it +gives the complete cordon of forts along the frontier from the Hudson to +the last fort in Virginia which Washington was building. Among other +things this map shows clearly how much wider were the frontiers of the +southern than those of the northern colonies. The most westerly fort in +Virginia was fifty miles further west than Fort Duquesne. The +Appalachian range trends southwesterly and its influence upon the +expansion of the colonies is most significant. + +[Illustration: FRONTIER FORTS AND BLOCKHOUSES IN 1756 +(_From the original in British Public Records Office_)] + +In this year, though a western campaign on Fort Duquesne did not +materialize, the line of the old road was greatly strengthened and a +blow was struck at the Indians on the Allegheny that was timely and +effective. The former was a most important task--of far greater +importance than was dreamed at that date. No one then knew the part this +road westward from Carlisle was to play in our national development; it +could not have been conceived, in 1756, that this route was to be the +only fortified highway into the West--the most important military road +of equal length on the continent throughout the eighteenth century. + +That Fort Lowther at Carlisle was in ruins in 1756 is shown by the +following letter written by William Trent to Richard Peters February 15, +1756, which also gives a realistic picture of the state of affairs which +compelled the Pennsylvania Assembly to begin the fort-building of that +year: "All the people had left their houses, betwixt this and the +mountain, some come to town and others gathering into the little +forts.[47] They are moving their effects from Shippensburg; every one +thinks of flying unless the Government fall upon some effectual method, +and that immediately, of securing the frontiers, there will not be one +inhabitant in this Valley one month longer. There is a few of us +endeavoring to keep up the spirits of the people. We have proposed going +upon the enemy tomorrow, but whether a number sufficient can be got, I +cannot tell; no one scarce seems to be affected with the distress of +their neighbours and for that reason none will stir but those that are +next the enemy and in immediate danger. A fort in this town would have +saved this part of the country, but I doubt this town in a few days, +will be deserted, if this party [of savages] that is out should kill any +people nigh here." Commissioner Young was at Carlisle soon after, +putting Fort Lowther into proper condition; he wrote Governor Morris: "I +have endeavored to put this large fort in the best possible defense I +can; but I am sorry to say the people of this town cannot be prevailed +on, to do anything for their own safety.... They seem to be lulled into +fatal security, a strange infatuation, which seems to prevail throughout +this province." The fort was not completed in July; Colonel Armstrong +wrote Morris on the twenty-third of that month. "The duties of the +harvest field have not permitted me to finish Carlisle Fort with the +soldiers, it should be done otherwise, the soldiers cannot be so well +governed, and may be absent or without the gates at the time of the +greatest necessity." In the same letter Colonel Armstrong--the +Washington of Pennsylvania--wrote: "Lyttleton, Shippensburg and Carlisle +(the two last not finished) are the only forts now built that will in my +opinion be serviceable to the public." It is significant that these +three forts were on the old road westward, showing that this route was +of utmost importance in Armstrong's eyes. + +Fort Lyttleton was one of four important forts erected, at Armstrong's +direction, by Governor Morris west of the Susquehanna late in 1755 and +early in 1756. It was built "at Sugar Cabins upon the new road"; wrote +Morris to Shirley February 9: "It [Fort Lyttleton] stands upon the new +road opened by this Province towards the Ohio, and about twenty miles +from the settlements, and I have called it Fort Lyttleton, in honor of +my friend George. This fort will not only protect the inhabitants in +that part of the Province, but being upon a road that within a few miles +joins General Braddock's road, it will prevent the march of any regulars +into the Province and at the same time serve as an advance post +or magazine in case of an attempt to the westward." The site of +this fort was on land now owned by Dr. Trout, of McConnellsburg, +Pennsylvania--about sixty feet on the north side of the old state +road.[48] + +Fort Morris at Shippensburg was building in November 1755; "we have one +hundred men working," wrote James Burd, "... with heart and hand every +day. The town is full of people, five or six families in a house, in +great want of arms and ammunition; but, with what we have we are +determined to give the enemy as warm a reception, as we can. Some of our +people have been taken prisoners, but have made their escape, and came +to us this morning." There had, as noted, been some sort of +fortification here at an earlier date, Fort Franklin. As said +previously, Fort Morris was still uncompleted July 23, 1756. It was in +Fort Franklin, undoubtedly, that the magazine was placed during +Braddock's campaign. Fort McDowell, at McDowell's Mill, was also erected +in 1756, being an important point at the junction of the old road into +Virginia and the new road to Raystown. The savage onslaughts of the +Indians were felt no more severely in any quarter than near here. At +Great Cove, in November 1755, forty-seven persons were murdered or taken +captive out of a total population of ninety-three. The strategic +position of Fort McDowell at the junction of the roads was emphasized by +Colonel Armstrong, who, after saying that Forts Lyttleton, Shippensburg, +and Carlisle were the only ones that would be useful to the public, +added: "McDowell's, or thereabouts, is a necessary post; but the present +fort is not defensible." + +Fort Loudoun was erected on the old road in 1756, one mile east of the +present village of Loudon, Franklin County. The spot was historic even +before it was fortified, the settlement here being one of the oldest in +that section of the state. This point was a famous rendezvous both in +the early days when the Old Trading Path was the main western highway, +and in after days when the path became Forbes's Road. From here the +pack-horse trains started westward into the mountains loaded--two +hundred pounds to a horse--with goods which had come this far in wagons +from Lancaster and Philadelphia. The site of Fort Loudoun therefore +marks the western extremity of the early colonial roadways and the +eastern extremity of the "packers' paths" or trading paths which +offered, until 1758, the only route across the mountains.[49] Fort +Loudoun was built late in 1755, after considerable debate as to its +location. Colonel Armstrong, after examining a spot near one Barr's, +finally determined to locate it "on a place in that neighborhood, near +to Parnell's Knob, where one Patton lives ... as it is near the new +road; it will make the distance from Shippensburg to Fort Lyttleton two +miles further than by McDowell's." + +Ten miles southwest of Shippensburg, Benjamin Chambers, a noted +pioneer, erected Fort Chambers at Falling Spring, the present +Chambersburg. It was a private fort completed in 1756; by some means the +owner had secured two four-pound cannon which he mounted in his little +fort, the roof of which he had already covered with lead. It was feared +that Chambers's little fort would be captured by the savages and the +guns turned upon Shippensburg and Carlisle. But their owner repudiated +the insinuation and even held the guns from Colonel Armstrong, who was +armed with the governor's order to surrender them. Incidentally, also, +he made good his boasts and held the fort with equal pugnacity from the +savages. Colonel Chambers was of great assistance to General Forbes in +the days of 1758, and, as an aged man, sent his three sons, raised in +the lead-roofed fortress with its "Great Guns," to Boston in 1775 to +fight again for the land he had helped to conquer from the Indians in +the dark days of Braddock and Forbes. Such men as Benjamin Chambers made +Forbes's Road a possibility. The state road built westward over the +track of Forbes's and Bouquet's armies is well known in eastern +Pennsylvania as the "Chambersburg and Pittsburg turnpike."[50] + +These forts west of the Susquehanna were garrisoned by the eight +companies of the second battalion of the Pennsylvania regiment. While +the work of completing the forts not yet finished went on, a campaign of +more importance than was realized was conceived by ex-Governor Morris +and explained to Governor Denny and the Council. It comprised a bold +stroke by Lieutenant-colonel Armstrong at the Indian-infested region of +Kittanning on the Allegheny. Here the Delaware Captain Jacobs held +bloody sway, having, according to the report of an Indian spy who had +recently visited the spot, nearly one hundred white prisoners from +Virginia and Pennsylvania captive at that point. + +Fort Shirley was appointed the place of rendezvous and the little +campaign was kept as secret as possible. As the map shows, Fort Shirley +(no. 23), Fort Lyttleton (no. 24) and Shippensburg form a triangle, the +longest side of which marks the straight line between the two latter +posts. Fort Loudoun was near this line between Fort Lyttleton and Fort +Morris at Shippensburg. Near Fort Loudoun a branch of the old Kittanning +Path ran northwesterly by Fort Shirley and onward to the Allegheny.[51] +Over this track the bold band, which rendezvoused at Fort Shirley late +in August, was to enter the Indian land. It numbered three hundred and +seven men, almost precisely the size of Washington's party which +precipitated war in 1754. But with the gloomy fate of Washington's band +and Braddock's army in mind this must have been a thoughtful company of +men that proceeded from Fort Shirley on the next to the last day of +August 1756. Their success was all out of proportion to their +expectation but not out of proportion to their bravery. Within a week +Kittanning was reached, surrounded when it was darkest before dawn, and +savagely attacked in the grey of the misty morning. The town was utterly +destroyed, some three score savages killed and eleven prisoners rescued +and brought back over the mountains. The moral effect of this dash +toward the Allegheny was of exceeding benefit to the whole frontier, and +Armstrong--always feared by the Indians--became their especial _bete +noire_. The expedition, having been made from lethargic Pennsylvania, +had a wholesome effect upon all the other colonies and did much to +cement them into the common league which accomplished much before two +years had passed. Armstrong, as one of the builders of the new road +through Raystown, as efficient officer in the work of fortifying this +route, and now as leader of an offensive stroke at once daring and +successful, was slowly being fitted for more useful and more important +duties when the flower of Pennsylvania's frontier should be thrown +across the Alleghenies upon Fort Duquesne. + +This officer's opinion, already quoted, that the only forts worth the +candle west of the Susquehanna were the three or four which fortified +the main route westward from Carlisle to Raystown, appears to have met +the approval of those in authority by 1757; on April 10, Governor Denny +wrote to the Proprietaries: "Four Forts only were to remain over +Susquehannah, viz., Lyttleton, Loudoun, Shippensburg, and Carlisle."[52] +If this is considered a backward step it must also be considered as a +concentration of energy in a most telling manner. If the frontier from +the Susquehanna to the Maryland line could not be held at every point +the decision seems to have been that the line of the old road must be +secured at all costs, whereupon all the public forts were abandoned save +the four which guarded this western highway. But the decision meant more +than this. It was in fact an offensive measure. Instead of holding a +line of forts at the mountain gaps as a shield to the settlements, the +line of the roadway westward was to be protected and even prolonged--a +bristling sword-point stretching over the Alleghenies into the very +heart of the French and Indian region. This is proved by the building of +a new fort yet further west than Lyttleton--at Raystown, near the point +where Burd's road, cut in 1755 toward the Youghiogheny, left the Old +Trading Path. This significant undertaking was evidently on the tapis +early in the winter. On February 22, Armstrong wrote Burd: "This is all +that can possibly be done, before the grass grows and proper numbers +unite, except it is agreed to fortify Raystown, of which I, yet, know +nothing." On the fifth of May he addressed a letter to the governor in +which he said: "... prompts me to propose to your Honour what I have +long ago suggested, to the late Governor and gentlemen commissioners, +that is the building a fort at Raystown without which the King's +business and the country's safety can never be effected to the +westward.... 'Tis true this service will require upwards of five hundred +men, as no doubt they will be attacked if any power be at Fort Duquesne, +because this will be a visible, large and direct stride to that place." +Thus it is clear that every step westward on the new-cut roadway from +Fort Lyttleton toward Raystown was a step toward Fort Duquesne, and +every fortification built on this track was a "visible, large and +direct" stroke at the power of France on the Ohio. A fort was erected at +Raystown within the year. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1758 + + +"Between the French and the earthquakes," wrote Horace Walpole in 1758 +to Mr. Conway, "you have no notion how good we have grown; nobody makes +a suit of clothes now but of sackcloth turned up with ashes." The years +1756 and 1757 were crowded with disappointments. With the miscarriage of +the three campaigns of 1755, Governor Shirley became the successor of +the forgotten Braddock and assembled a council of war at New York +composed of Governors Shirley, Hardy, Sharpe, Morris, and Fitch, +Colonels Dunbar and Schuyler, Majors Craven and Rutherford, and Sir John +St. Clair. As though in very mockery, the king's instructions to the +betrayed and sacrificed Braddock were read to the council, after which +General Shirley announced a scheme for campaigns to be conducted during +the new year. The new "generalissimo" proposed four campaigns: one army +of five thousand men was to assemble at Oswego, four thousand of whom +were to be sent to destroy, first, Fort Frontenac, then Forts Niagara, +Presque Isle, La Boeuf, and Detroit; a second army of three thousand +provincials was to march over Braddock's Road against Fort Duquesne; an +army of one thousand men was to advance to Crown Point on Lake Champlain +and erect a fort there; a fourth army of two thousand men was to "carry +fire and sword" up the Kennebec River, across the portage, and down +Riviere Chaudiere to its mouth near Quebec. The Council agreed, as +councils will, to all this Quixotic program; insisting, however, that +ten thousand men should be sent to Crown Point and six thousand to +Oswego. + +In spite of Shirley's earnestness things moved very slowly, and the +bickering between governors and assemblies and the jealousy of men out +of power of those in power retarded every movement. The deadlock in +Pennsylvania resulted in the abandonment of that province and Virginia +so far as offensive measures were concerned, and the two governors +busied themselves in fortifying their smoking frontiers, as described +above. And finally the northern campaigns toward the lakes came to a +sudden stand when General Shirley was superseded in his command by Lord +Loudoun who, lacking the sense to forward Shirley's plans, officiously +altered them completely at a time when everything depended on quick and +concerted action. As a result, Loudoun moved northward at a snail's +pace. + +It seemed as though affairs in America were momentarily paralyzed by the +shock of the tremendous conflict now opened on the continent. On the +eighteenth of May England had declared war on France and twenty-two days +later France responded, and the most terrible conflict of the eighteenth +century opened, in which the great Frederick eventually humbled, with +England's help, the three empresses whose hatred he had drawn upon +himself. But while Louis sent an army of one hundred thousand against +Frederick, he had yet twelve thousand to hurry over to New France to +make good the successes of 1755. These sailed under that best and +bravest of Frenchmen since the days of Champlain, Montcalm, on the +third of April. In three months Montcalm had swept down Lake +Champlain to Fort Ticonderoga. Then, as if to make sport of his +antagonist--Loudoun, who had abandoned Shirley's Oswego scheme--Montcalm +returned to Montreal, hurried with three thousand soldiers down the St. +Lawrence and across to Oswego, which surrendered at once with its twelve +hundred defenders. The outwitted Loudoun crawled slowly up to Lake +George; the winter of 1756-57 came on, and the two commanders glared at +each other across the narrow space of snow and ice that separated them. +The two important campaigns planned by Shirley were utter failures, and +the westward campaign against Fort Duquesne was not even attempted. The +French were strengthening everywhere. "Whoever is in or whoever is out," +exclaimed Chesterfield, "I am sure we are undone both at home and +abroad.... We are no longer a nation." But one of Shirley's _coups_ had +succeeded; Winslow captured Beausejour. In the west Armstrong had razed +the Indian town of Kittanning on the Allegheny. On the other hand these +minor successes were far overbalanced by the destruction of Oswego and +Fort Bull, between the Mohawk and Lake Oneida, and the menacing position +Montcalm had assumed with the strengthening of Ticonderoga, Crown Point, +and Frontenac. + +Pitt, a fine example of a man too powerful to hold office with peace, +was forced into the premiership again near the end of this black year of +1756. Parliament refused to support him, the Duke of Cumberland, +captain-general of the army, opposed him, and the king hated him; early +in April 1757 he was dismissed. England had found her man but the +pigmies in power shrank from acknowledging him. With that sublime +confidence which once or twice in a century betokens latent genius, Pitt +exclaimed: "I am sure I can save this country, and that nobody else +can." Meantime Chesterfield was sighing: "I never saw so dreadful a +time." The year of 1757 dragged on as gloomily as its predecessor. +Montcalm, master of the situation, pushed southward upon Fort William +Henry on Lake George, and General Webb at Fort Edward. Loudoun +abandoned the scene and went gallantly sailing with the fleet against +Louisbourg. Fort William Henry surrendered and Montcalm spread terror to +Albany and New York. Had he pressed his advantage it is questionable if +he could not have occupied the whole Hudson Valley. Why he did not could +have been explained better in Quebec than in New York. It was ever the +foe behind Montcalm that was his worst enemy, and which eventually +compassed his ruin. + +If official jealousies were now the bane of New France, incapacity until +now had handicapped her enemies. When Pitt was forced out of office in +April, England was "left without a government." "England has been long +in labor," said the Prussian Frederick, "and at last she has brought +forth a man." Her hour was long delayed, but early in 1758 Pitt was +again made Secretary of State with old Newcastle First Lord of the +Treasury. "It was a partnership of magpie and eagle. The dirty work of +government, intrigue, bribery, and all the patronage that did not affect +the war, fell to the share of the old politician. If Pitt could appoint +generals, admirals, and ambassadors, Newcastle was welcome to the rest. +'I will borrow the Duke's majorities to carry on the government,' said +the new secretary."[53] + +Seldom indeed has the elevation of one man to power produced such almost +instantaneous results as did the elevation of Pitt. The desperateness of +England's condition undoubtedly intensified, by contrast, the successes +which came when he assumed full power. England had been fighting, not +France and her allies, but the stars; all the bravery and sturdiness of +her soldiers and sailors could not counteract the ignorance and +incapacity of those who had heretofore commanded them. Now, capacity and +ability were in league; like an electric shock the realization of this +significant union passed from man to man. The people felt it, and the +army and navy; the political pigmies about the throne felt it, as well +as the king. Pitt, vain as any genius, asked for the latter's +confidence; the reply was "deserve it and you shall have it"--and a +Hanoverian king of England kept his word. "I shall now have no more +peace," he had sighed when Pelham died; and had not the reins of power +soon passed into the hands of Pitt it is doubtful if he ever could have +had peace with honor. It was the skilful surgeon's knife that England +needed, and no time for men who feared the sight of blood; the "Great +Commoner" proved the skilful surgeon and at once gave England a motto +Pelham never knew: "Neither fleet nor army should eat the bread of the +nation in idleness." + +Pitt at once displayed a prime qualification for his post of honor by +choosing with unfailing discernment men who should lead both fleets and +armies from idleness into action. His American campaign of 1758 embraced +three decisive movements, an attack on Louisbourg--stepping-stone to +Quebec--an invasion upon Montcalm on Lake Champlain, and an expedition +to Fort Duquesne. For these three movements he chose two of the three +leaders. The two he chose completed their assignments with utmost +courage and success. The third, Abercrombie, whom Pitt could not +prevent succeeding the incompetent Loudoun--met with defeat. As if to +reaffirm his sagacity, Ferdinand of Brunswick, whom Pitt sent to +Frederick the Great in the place of the disgraced Duke of Cumberland, +was also signally victorious over the foes who had compelled the king's +brother, the year before, to sign a convention in which he promised to +disband his army. + +Admiral Boscawen set Amherst down before Louisbourg with fourteen +thousand men at the beginning of June, young Wolfe leading the army up +from the boats over crags which the French had left unguarded because +they were, seemingly, inaccessible. At the same time Abercrombie was +gathering his army, of equal strength, at the head of Lake George, +preparatory to proceeding northward upon Fort Ticonderoga. + +The command, of the Fort Duquesne campaign was given by Pitt to +Brigadier John Forbes, a Scot, ten years younger than his century. Of +Forbes little seems to be known save that he began life as a medical +student; abandoning his profession for that of arms he made a brave and +good officer. That Pitt chose him to retrieve the dead Braddock's +mistakes speaks loudly of his commanding abilities; the numerous +quotations from his correspondence given elsewhere in this monograph +will present a clearer picture of this almost unknown hero than has ever +yet been drawn. "Though a well-bred man of the world," writes Parkman, +"his tastes were simple; he detested ceremony, and dealt frankly and +plainly with the colonists, who both respected and liked him."[54] +The correspondence between Forbes and his chief assistant, +Lieutenant-colonel Henry Bouquet, a Swiss, commanding the regiment of +Royal Americans, is convincing proof of the democratic plainness and +whole-hearted earnestness of Braddock's successor. + +The condition of the frontiers of Virginia and Pennsylvania during the +years succeeding Braddock's defeat has been previously reviewed, and the +greatness of the task now thrown upon General Forbes's shoulders can be +readily conceived. Yet there was much in his favor; the colonies were +quite aroused to the danger. Pennsylvania and Virginia were at last +ready to put shoulder to shoulder in an attempt to drive the French +from the Ohio. Pennsylvania promised Forbes twenty-seven hundred men; +sixteen hundred were to come from Virginia and other of the southern +provinces. Twelve hundred Highlanders from Montgomery's regiment were +given Forbes, also the Royal American regiment, made up largely of +Pennsylvania Germans and officered by men brought for the purpose from +Europe. The force, when at last gathered together, amounted to between +six and seven thousand men. The very proportions of this army were its +principal menace. No one believed that Fort Duquesne, far away in the +forests beyond the mountains, could hold out against this formidable +array. That the French, now being attacked simultaneously in the east +and in the north, could send reenforcements to the Ohio was no more +likely. But there still lay the Alleghenies, their crags and gorges. +Could this large body of troops cross them and take provisions +sufficient to support men and horses? As with Braddock, so now with +Forbes, it was the mere physical feat of throwing an army three hundred +miles into the forests that was the crucial problem. Fort Duquesne could +have been captured with half of Forbes's army; Wolfe had hardly more +than that at Quebec in the year succeeding. If Forbes could move this +army, or any considerable fraction of it, across the mountains, there +was no reasonable doubt of his success. + +Forbes was much more delayed in getting his expedition off than was +either of his two colleagues, Abercrombie and Amherst. Little dreaming +that it would not be until the middle of June that his stores would +arrive from England, Forbes had in March settled upon Conococheague +(Williamsport, Maryland) as a convenient point of rendezvous for his +army.[55] In this he acted upon the advice of his quartermaster-general, +Sir John St. Clair, who was sent forward to examine routes and provide +forage, but for whom, however, Forbes had little respect. Some time +later St. Clair urged Forbes to alter this plan and make the new outpost +on Burd's Road toward the Youghiogheny, Raystown, the point of +rendezvous. The difficulty of the route from Conococheague to Fort +Cumberland undoubtedly induced St. Clair to advise this change of base; +later Governor Sharpe had a road cut from Fort Frederick to Fort +Cumberland, but that was not until late in June. Following St. Clair's +advice, Forbes changed his original plan and Raystown (Bedford, +Pennsylvania) became the base of supplies and point of rendezvous. On +the twenty-third of April Colonel Bouquet, commanding the Royal +Americans, wrote Forbes of his arrival at New York and in less than a +month this exceedingly efficient officer was on his way over the old +road westward through Shippensburg and Carlisle. He was at Lancaster May +20, and wrote Forbes: "I arrived here this morning, and found Mr Young +waiting for money to clear Armstrong's Path the Commissioners having +disappointed him."[56] On the twenty-second he wrote again outlining the +route and stages on the road to Raystown: + + "The first Stage (from Lancaster) Shippensburg + 2^d Fort Loudon + 3 Fort Littleton + 4 18 miles 1/2 way to Rays Town, where I shall have a stockade Erect'd + 5 17 miles at Rays Town where we shall Build a Fort."[57] + +General Forbes reached Philadelphia by the middle of April but found +himself as yet without an army. The raising of the provincials +progressed slowly; his Highlanders were not yet arrived from South +Carolina; his stores and ammunition had not come from England. However, +on May 20, he wrote Bouquet giving orders concerning the formation of +magazines and ordered him to contract for one hundred and twenty wagons +to transport provisions "backwards to Rays town," and to select at that +point a site for a fort. He added: "By all means have the road +reconnoitred from Rays town to the Yohageny"--the road Burd had +completed to the summit of Allegheny Mountain in 1755. It is plain that +Forbes intended, at this time, to march to Fort Cumberland by way of +Carlisle and Bedford, and go on to Fort Duquesne over Braddock's Road. +In this case he much needed Burd's road to the Youghiogheny--for the +same reasons that Braddock did. There is no evidence that Forbes +conceived the plan of using a new road westward from Raystown until he +and Bouquet came to realize that, with that point as a rendezvous, the +Fort Cumberland route would necessitate a long detour from a direct line +toward Fort Duquesne. + +Bouquet pushed on westward. He left Fort Lowther, at Carlisle, June 8, +and was writing Forbes from Fort Loudoun on the eleventh. On the +twenty-second he reached the Juniata and wrote Forbes on the +twenty-eighth from his "Camp near Raes Town," which now became the +rendezvous of the summer's campaign. Here Fort Bedford was built, making +the most westernly fort in the chain of fortresses built through central +Pennsylvania. It was one of the leading features of General Forbes's +plan to extend this chain of forts all the way to the Ohio. "It was +absolutely necessary," he wrote to Pitt, explaining this feature of his +campaign, "that I should take precautions by having posts along my +route, which I have done from a project that I took from Turpin's Essay, +_Sur la Guerre_. Last chapter 4^{th} Book, Intitled _Principe sur lequel +on peut etablir un projet de Campagne_, if you take the trouble of +Looking into this Book, you will see the General principles upon which I +have proceeded."[58] + +The Highlanders did not arrive from South Carolina until the seventh of +June, and the army stores and artillery did not arrive from England +until the fourteenth. The work of raising the provincial troops was not +forwarded with any greater despatch. In general terms Forbes did not get +fairly started from the seaboard until three weeks later than Braddock +had left Fort Cumberland. Thus, though personally blameless, Forbes +began his campaign under an almost fatal handicap. And, with this army +converging from many points upon Fort Bedford, arose the vital question +of routes to be pursued. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE OLD OR A NEW ROAD? + + +So many are the versions of the story of the building of Forbes's Road +through Pennsylvania that it was with utmost interest that the present +writer took up the task of examining the only sources of reliable +information: the correspondence of General Forbes, Colonel Bouquet, and +Sir John St. Clair, as preserved in the Bouquet Papers at the British +Museum, and at the British Public Records Office. While these letters +were supplemented by frequent personal interviews which have never been +recorded, yet the testimony given by them is overwhelming that, until +the very last, both men, Forbes and Bouquet, were quite undecided what +route to Fort Duquesne was most practicable; both were open to +conviction, and were equally disinterested parties, thinking only of the +good of the cause to which both soon gave their lives. No one can read +this voluminous correspondence and believe for one moment that General +Forbes was prejudiced in favor of a Pennsylvania route by Pennsylvania +intriguers, as has been frequently asserted;[59] nor that the brave +Swiss Bouquet was at any time determined to guide the army whose van he +bravely led by any but the most expeditious and practicable +thoroughfare. That both men knew of the bitter factional fight which was +waging, this correspondence makes very clear; that both were made doubly +proof against factional arguments, because of this knowledge, is equally +plain. + +Before entering upon a consideration of the Forbes-Bouquet-St. Clair +correspondence, it must be always remembered that General Forbes had +originally planned to make the campaign by the old Braddock Road from +Virginia and had issued orders for the assembling of both provincial and +regular troops at "Conegochieque" (Conococheague), on the road built by +Governor Sharpe from Alexandria to Fort Frederick in 1754, over which +Dunbar's column marched.[60] It was undoubtedly his purpose to march +south from Philadelphia over the old Monoccasy road to the Potomac and +then westward over the Braddock routes which converged upon Fort +Cumberland. From there the main track of Braddock's army offered an open +way toward Fort Duquesne. As previously suggested it was the advice of +Sir John St. Clair, his quartermaster-general, that influenced Forbes to +alter his plan and march straight westward from Philadelphia toward +Lancaster and the Pennsylvania frontier. Whatever may have induced St. +Clair to give this advice, it is sure he had learned some lessons from +the disastrous campaign of 1755 when he led Braddock through a country +quite devoid of carriages, horses, and produce; Pennsylvania, on the +other hand, was the granary of America;[61] and, if a road was lacking, +horses and wagons were not, and it was better to lack what could be +provided than to lack that which could not possibly be obtained. + +On May 20, Forbes wrote Bouquet from Philadelphia that it was time the +magazines were being formed. One week later (May 21), Sir John St. Clair +wrote Bouquet from Winchester: "Governor Sharpe has been here with me +and is returned to Frederick Town in Maryland." It would seem that Sir +John's change of mind concerning the advisability of Forbes opening a +new route westward dated from Governor Sharpe's visit; for, on the day +following (May 28), he writes Bouquet: "I am not anxious about the +cutting the Road to Rays Town from Fort Cumberland, it may be done in 4 +days, or in 2, if the two Ends are gone upon at the same time; but I am +afraid you will have a deal of work from Fort Loudon to Rays Town, which +I am afraid will be Troublesome." On the cover of this letter Bouquet +made the following memorandum: "The Officer Commanding the Virginia +Troops, soon to March into Pennsylvania, is to take Directions from +Henry Pollan living upon the Temporary line, or in his absence, from any +Sensible person about his House, for the nearest and best Waggon Road +From said Pollans or the Widow McGaws to Fort Loudon, to which place +the Troops are to March, Shippensburg being much out of the Way."[62] + +Bouquet reached Carlisle on the twenty-fourth of May, and wrote Forbes +as follows on the day after: "I shall order Washington's Regiment to +Fort Cumberland and as soon as we take post at Reas Town 300 of them +must cut the Road along the Path from Fort Cumberland to Reas Town and +join us." + +The evident plan of Sir John St. Clair to divert Bouquet from the route +he had originally outlined is disclosed further in a letter written from +Winchester on May 31, in which he says: "I cannot send Col^o Byrd to you +as all the Cherokees have resolved never more to go to Pennsylvania, on +account of the Soldiers of fort Loudon, taking up arms against them, by +Cap^t Trent's Instigation." Under the same date, however, Bouquet wrote +St. Clair and in the letter gave the order which he had preserved in +form of a memorandum on the back of St. Clair's letter of May 28. Sir +John, however, became more and more insistent that the Virginia and +Maryland routes should be employed; on June 6 he wrote Bouquet that "the +Pattomack has as much water in it as the Po at Cremona," intending to +show how useful the stream would be for transporting army stores to Fort +Cumberland. On June 9--when Washington arrived at Winchester--St. Clair +wrote Bouquet: "I send you this by John Walker who is the best Woodsman +I ever knew, he will be usefull in reconnoitering the road to be cut on +the other Side of the Mountain, but do not attempt it too far to the +Right." In this letter St. Clair again reiterates the threat that the +Cherokees will not go into Pennsylvania. And in a postscript, written in +French, he adds a parting shot: "I think you will have some trouble to +find a road from the mountain to the great falls of the Yougheogany." On +June 11 St. Clair again wrote: "I had great dependence on John Walker +the Guide for finding the Road from the Allegheny Ridge to the great +Crossing, I detained him the other day, on purpose, to know if he wou'd +attempt to find it. The answer that he made me, was, that he knew that +Country very well, having hunted there many years, that the Hills run +across the line the Road ought to go and are very steep: That he was +sent by Col^o Dunbar, from the great Crossing, to acquaint Col^o Burd, +of the defeat of the Army, and that the year after he was taken prisoner +by the Shanese, and carried [over] that Road, to the french fort; and +that the Shanese (who he was acquainted with and speaks their Language) +told him, that was the best way to get out of these Mountains and +Laurell Thicketts. On the whole he says that the Road may be made, with +a great deal of labor, & time, but that it must be reconoiter'd, when +the leaves are off the Trees; being impossible to do it at this season. +Considering all these Circumstances and the Season of the Year advancing +so fast, and the Small Number of Indians we have left, I must send you +my opinion (which always was that if I was to carry a Convoy from +Lancaster to fort Cumberland I would pass by, or near Reas Town). That +we have not time to reconoitre the Road in question, and open it, +without taking up more time than we have to spare, and which wou'd give +the french and Indians too favorable an opportunity of attacking on that +laborious Work. I think it will be more eligible to fall down on fort +Cumberland, and get on from thence to the great Crossing, after making a +Block house, at the little meadows. This will advance us 40 miles from +fort Cumberland, and a deposite may be made at that place." + +No one can read this strange letter without realizing Bouquet's unhappy +situation: a vacillating know-nothing for quartermaster-general, and a +commander-in-chief detained from coming to the front. Bouquet wrote to +Forbes, who answered that the course of the proposed new road should be +examined before that route was abandoned. "I have yours of the 14^{th}," +wrote Forbes on June 19, "from Fort Loudon and I am sorry that you are +obliged to change our Route, and shall be glad to find the road proposed +by Gov^{r} Sharp practicable, in which case I should think it ought to +be sett about immediately.[63]... I suppose you will reconnoitre the +road across the Allegany mountains from Reas town and if found +unpracticable, that the Fort Cumberland Garrison should open the old +road[64] forward towards the Crossing of the Yohagani.... I find we must +take nothing by report in this country, for there are many who have +their own designs in representing things, so I am glad you have +proceeded to Reas town, where you will be able to judge of the roads and +act accordingly.... Let there be no stops put to the roads as that is +our principall care at present." No one can believe that the author of +this letter was the blindly prejudiced man some have painted him. + +Bouquet was, however, not to be contented with an examination of one +route westward; his scouts were out in three directions: on Braddock's +Road, on the Old Trading Path running westward from Raystown (now +Bedford), and also on the upper path toward the Allegheny by way of the +Indian Frank's Town. In all this Forbes seconded him as shown by his +letter of June 27: "I approve much of your trying to pass the Laurel +Hill leaving the Yohageny to the left, as also of knowing what can be +done by the path from Franks town or even from the head of the +Susquehannah, For I have all along had in view to have partys, to fall +upon their Settlements about Venango and there abouts while we are +pushing forward our principale Design." In the meantime old Sir John +kept up his current of objections, so wretchedly ill-timed; he wrote +thus from Carlisle June 30: "I shall be glad you may find a Waggon Road +leaving the Yougheagany on the left, it is what I never cou'd find, I +think the Experiment is dangerous at present and going on an uncertainty +when by falling down upon fort Cumberland, we have our Road opened; +should [the wagon road] be made use of, then the Collums of our army +would be too far assunder." St. Clair had been pushing the opening of +the road from Fort Frederick to Fort Cumberland in the expectation that +the army would consequently "fall down" to the more southernly westward +road even before reaching Fort Cumberland. Three days previous to the +last letter quoted he wrote Bouquet: "I have this morning [June 27] +received the report that the road from fort Frederick to Fort +Cumberland is practicable." + +Bouquet evidently laid the sum and substance of St. Clair's letters +before General Forbes who, on July 6, delivered himself in reply as +follows: "Sir John St. Clair was the person who first advised me to go +by Raes town, why he has altered his sentiments I do not know, or to +what purpose make the road from Fort Frederick to Cumberland, as most +certainly we shall now all go by Raes town, but I am afraid that Sir +John is led by passions, he says he knows very well that we shall not +find a road from Raes town across the Allegany, and that to go by Raes +town to F. Cumberland is a great way about, but this he ought to have +said two months ago or hold his peace now. Pray examine the Country +tother side of the Allegany particularly the Laurell Ridge that he says +its impossible we can pass without going into Braddock's old road. What +his views are in those suggestions I know not, but I should be sorry to +be obliged to alter ones schemes so late in the day, particularly as it +was S^{ir} Johns proper business to have forseen and to have foretold +all this. Who to the Contrary was the first adviser. Let the road to +Fort Cumberland from Raes town be finished with all Diligence because if +we must go by Fort Cumberland it must be through Raes town as it is now +too late to make use of the road by Fort Frederick and I fancy you will +agree that ... there is no time to be lost." General Forbes wrote an +interesting letter to Pitt under the date of July 10. Speaking of +Raystown he writes: "The place having its name from one Rae, who +designed to have made a plantation there several years ago." Speaking of +the country he observes: "Being an immense Forest of 240 miles in +Extent, intersected by several ranges of mountains, impenetrable almost +to any thing human save the Indians (if they be allowed the appelation) +who have foot paths or tracks through those desarts, by the help of +which, we make our roads.... I am in hopes of finding a better way over +the Alleganey Mountain, than that from fort Cumberland which General +Braddock took. If so I shall shorten both my march, and my labor of the +road about 40 miles, which is a great consideration. For were I to +pursue M^r Braddock's route, I should save but little labour, as that +road is now a brush wood, by the sprouts from the old stumps, which must +be cut down and made proper for Carriages as well as any other passage +that we must attempt." Yet his letter to Bouquet on the day after, July +11, says that Forbes was not stickling for the new road: "I shall hurry +up the troops, directly," he wrote, "so pray see for a road across the +Alligeny or by Fort Cumberland, which Garrison may if necessary be +clearing Braddocks old road." However, lest he be put under the +necessity of taking the longer route, he wrote again to Bouquet by James +Grant: "that the Road over the Allegany may be reconnoitred, for he +(Forbes) is unwilling to be put under the necessity of making any +Detour." + +On July 14 General Forbes wrote Bouquet from Carlisle: "I ... have all +along thought the road from F. Frederick to Cumberland superfluous, if +we could have done without it, which I am glad to understand we can do +by Raes town. It would have been double pleasure if from thence we +could have got a good road across the Laurell hill, But by Cap^t Wards +journal I begin to fear it will be difficult, altho I would have you +continue to make further tryalls, for I should be very sorry to pass by +Fort Cumberland. I am sensible that some foolish people have made partys +to drive us into that road, as well as into the road by Fort Frederick, +but as I utterly detest all partys and views in military operations, so +you may very well guess, how and what arguments I have had with S^{ir} +John St Clair upon that subject. But I expect Governor Sharp here this +night when I shall know more of this same road. I hope your second +detachment across the Allegeny have been able to ascertain what route we +must take, and that consequently you are sett about clearing of it.... I +have sent up Major Armstrong with one Demming an old Indian trader who +has been many a time upon the road from Raes town to Fort duquesne, he +says there is no Difficulty in the road across the Laurell Hill and that +He leaves the Yohageny all the way upon his left hand about 8 miles, and +that it is only 40 miles from the Laurell Hill to Fort duquesne, along +the top of the Chestnut ridge.... As I presume you may want Forage, and +as S^{ir} John has confessed that he had provided none but at Fort +Cumberland (I suppose on purpose to drive me into that road, for what +purpose I know not) If you therefore think it necessary, send Waggons to +Fort Cumberland for part of it.... Let me hear immediately your +resolution about the road." + +To this Bouquet replied that he had sent orders to have Braddock's Road +reconnoitred and cleared; "at all events it may serve to deceive the +Enemy." He was daily in expectation of news from his exploring parties +on Laurel Hill and promised Forbes to forward their report as soon as he +received it. + +Washington had now reached Fort Cumberland and was soon in +correspondence with Bouquet at Raystown thirty-four miles to the +northward. July 16 he wrote: "I shall direct the officer, that marches +out, to take particular pains in reconnoitring General Braddock's road, +though I have had repeated information, that it only wants such small +repairs, as could with ease be made as fast as the army would +march."[65] On the twenty-first he wrote: "The bridge is finished at +this place, and tomorrow Major Peachey, with three hundred men, will +proceed to open General Braddock's road. I shall direct them to go to +George's Creek, ten miles in advance. By that time I may possibly hear +from you ... for it will be needless to open a road, of which no use +will be made afterwards."[66] Thus it is clear that, as late as July 20, +Washington at Fort Cumberland, Bouquet at Raystown, and Forbes at +Carlisle were all in doubt as to the army's route. + +On July 21 Bouquet wrote General Forbes: "I waited for the return of +Captain Ward before replying [to Forbes's letters of the 14th and 17th +inst]. He arrived yesterday evening, his journal being so vague and +confused that I could not understand anything from it. Captain Gordon is +making an extract from it which I send with this. They are convinced +that a waggon road could be made across Laurell Hill, not so bad as +that from Fort Littleton to this place, & that there is water and grass +all the way, but little forage between the two mountains. The slope of +the Alleghany is the worst, the country between that and Laurell Hill is +passable, and this last mountain, (of which they have made a sample--) +is very easy to cross: all the guides & officers who were on the Ohio +agree that from Lawrell Hill onwards there are no further difficulties; +it is a chain of hills easy to cross. They have thought it impracticable +to continue the road cut by Colonel Burd to join the Braddock road, +except by following the whole length of Lawrell Hill, which would make +the road longer than if taken through Cumberland; the rest of the +country is rendered impassable by marshes, &c. The pack horses have just +arrived. We must give them a day's rest, & on the day after tomorrow +Major Armstrong will set out with a party of 100 volunteers to mark out +the road, and will send me a man every day (or every two days) to inform +me of his progress & observations. There is no spot suitable for the +making of a depot until one comes to the foot of the other slope of +Lawrell Hill, which may be about 45 miles from here; there is sufficient +water there, and forage, but as it would entail too great a risk to +leave his party on the other side of Lawrell Hill, I shall give him +instructions to reconnoitre, & to mark out the site of the depot, & then +return to Edmund's Swamp, where I will in the first place send him a +reinforcement with provisions, so that he may make an entrenched camp +there, which will serve as flying base; and if the report he makes of +his route is favourable, I shall send 600 men (in all) to take a post at +Loyal Hanny, which I conceive to be the proper place for the chief +depot; from there it will be more easy to push his parties forward than +from this place. I hope you will be here before the main detachment +marches, and in that case I shall go myself, if you approve. I wish the +new levies may be able to join before that time, so as to be able to +form the three Pennsylvania battalions, and get them into order. I shall +have here the two companies of workmen from Virginia, to be employed in +cutting the road as soon as you shall have decided upon your route. I +shall await your arrival before beginning, because the pack horses cross +without difficulty, and will suffice to carry their provisions. As +regards your route the Virginia party continues in full force, and +although the secret motive of their policy seems to me not above +suspicion of partiality, it nevertheless appears to me an additional +reason for acting with double caution in a matter of this consequence, +so as to have ample answers for all their clamors, if any accident +happens, which they would not fail to attribute to the choice of a fresh +route. Captain Patterson, who set out two days after Captain Ward with a +party of 13 men to reconnoitre the fort, has returned with them without +accomplishing anything. He tried to cross the two mountains in a direct +line with the fort, but he found Lawrell Hill impassible, and the +different reports agree in the fact that there is no other pass to be +found except the Indian Path reconnoitred by Captain Ward. The guide +Dunning speaks of a gap he crossed 16 years ago, but no one knows this +gap, which he declares he found in 'Hunting Horses.' He is marching +with the Major and two or three other guides.... The communication with +Cumberland is cut, and it is an excellent road."[67] + +On July 20 Forbes wrote, by the hand of St. Clair, to Bouquet asking +that all the guides then with him be sent to Carlisle for a conference +with the general. Three days later Bouquet answered as follows: "Major +Armstrong has three guides (and three Indians) with him: McConnell, +Brown and Starrat. I am sending you all that are left there,--Frazer, +Walker, Garret, and the two that are at Littleton,--Ohins and Lowry. If +those from Cumberland arrive in time, I will send them on afterwards." + +On July 25 Washington wrote Bouquet from Fort Cumberland: "I do not +incline to propose any thing that may seem officious, but would it not +facilitate the operation of the campaign, if the Virginian troops were +ordered to proceed as far as the Great Crossing, and construct forts at +the most advantageous situations as they advance, opening the road at +the same time? In such a case, I should be glad to be joined by that +part of my regiment at Raystown. Major Peachey, who commands the working +party on Braddock's road, writes to me, that he finds few repairs +wanting. Tonight I shall order him to proceed as far as Savage River, +and then return, as his party is too weak to adventure further.... I +shall most cheerfully work on any road, pursue any route or enter upon +any service, that the General or yourself may think me usefully imployed +in, or qualified for, and shall never have a will of my own, when a duty +is required of me. But since you desire me to speak my sentiments +freely, permit me to observe, that after having conversed with all the +guides, and having been informed by others, who have a knowledge of the +country, I am convinced that a road, to be compared with General +Braddock's, or indeed, that will be fit for transportation even by +packhorses, cannot be made. I have no predilection for the route you +have in mind, not because difficulties appear therein, but because I +doubt whether satisfaction can be given in the execution of the plan. I +know not what reports you may have received from your reconnoitring +parties; but I have been uniformly told, that, if you expect a tolerable +road by Raystown, you will be disappointed, for no movement can be made +that way without destroying our horses. I should be extremely glad of +one hour's conference with you, when the General arrives. I could then +explain myself more fully, and, I think, demonstrate the advantages of +pushing out a body of light troops in this quarter. I would make a trip +to Raystown with great pleasure, if my presence here could be dispensed +with for a day or two, of which you can best judge." + +[Illustration: FORBES'S ROAD TO RAYSTOWN (1757) [_The dotted +line to the Youghiogheny shows the line of Burd's Road_] +(_From the original in the British Museum_)] + +With Washington's letter came also one from General Forbes, written July +23. From it these extracts are to the point: "As I disclaim all parties +(factions) myself, I should be sorry that they were to Creep in amongst +us. I therefore conceive what the Virginia folks would be at, for to me +it appears to be them, and them only, that want to drive us into the +road by Fort Cumberland, no doubt in opposition to the Pennsylvanians +who by Raes town would have a nigher Communication (than them) to the +Ohio. S^{ir} John St. Clair was the first person that proposed and +enforced me in to take the road by Raes town, I having previous to this +ordered our Army to assemble at Conegochegue which I was obliged +afterwards to alter to Raestown at his Instance, altho he then declared +that he nor nobody else knew any thing of the road leading from the +Laurell hill, but as he has represented it of late impracticable to me, +I was therefore pressing to have the Communication opened from Raes town +to Fort Cumberland. S^{ir} John I am afraid had got a new light at +Winchester, and I believe from thence proceeded to the opening the road +from Fort Frederick to Fort Cumberland. I put the Question fairly to him +yesterday morning by asking him if he knew of any Intention of making me +change measures and forcing me into the Fort Cumberland road, when he +knew that it was at his Instance solely, that I had changed it to Raes +town; I showed him Cap^t Ward's Journal & description of the road from +Raestown to the top of the Laurell Hill, telling him at the same time, +that if an easy road could be found there, or made there, that I was +amazed he should know nothing off it, which was evident by his telling +me of late that the Laurel hill was impracticable, he appeared +nonplused, but rather than appear ignorant, he said that there were many +Indian Traders that knew those roads very well; I stopt him short by +saying if that was the case, that I was very sorry he had never found +them out, or never thought it worth his while to examine them. In short +he knows nothing of the matter. Col^l Byrd in a paragraph of his letter +from Fort Cumberland, amongst other things writes, that he has upwards +of sixty Indians waiting my arrival, and ready to accompany me, but they +will not follow me unless I go by Fort Cumberland. This is a new system +of military Discipline truly; and shows that my Good friend Byrd is +either made the Cats Foot of himself, or he little knows me, if he +imagines that Sixty scoundrels are to direct me in my measures. As we +are now so far advanced as Raestown I should look fickle in my measures, +in changing, to go by Fort Cumberland, without being made thoroughly +sensible of the impracticability of passing by the shortest way over the +Laurell Hill to the Ohio. The difference at present in the length of +road the one way and the other stands thus-- + +"From Raestown to Fort Cumberland, 34 miles or upwards + +"From Fort Cumberland to Fort Duquesne by Ge^{nl} Braddocks, 125 miles +in all 160 to which add the passage of rivers &c and the last 8 miles +not cut. + +"The other road-- + +"From Raestown to the top of the Laurell Hill 46 miles + +"From then to Fort Duquesne suppose 40 or 50 miles in all 90 with no +rivers to obstruct you and nothing to stop you that I can see, except +the Bugbear, a tremendous pass of the Laurel Hill. + +"If what I say is true and those two roads are compared, I don't see +that I am to Hesitate one moment which to take unless I take a party +[join a faction] likewise, which I hope never to do in Army matters. + +"I have now told you my Opinion, and what I think of the affairs of the +road, but to judge at such Distance, and of a Country I never saw, nor +heard spoke off but in Cap^t Ward's account, I therefore can say nothing +decisive, so have sent up S^{ir} John St Clair in order that he may +explore that new road and determine the most Ellegible to be pursued, +but this I think need not hinder you from proceeding upon the new road +as soon as you can Conveniently.... I have spoke very roundly upon this +subject [roads and forage] to S^{ir} John, who was sent up the Country +from Philadelphia for no other purpose than to fix the roads and provide +forage, both of which I am sorry to say it, are yet to begin--but all +this _entre nous_ until I see you." + +Under the same date (July 25) General Forbes wrote as follows to +Major-general Abercrombie: "Scouting Parties have been sent out, with +the best Guides we could find, and according to the Reports which some +of them have made, the Road over the Allegeny Mountain and the Lawrel +Ridge will be found practicable for Carriages, which will be of infinate +Consequence, will facilitate Our Matters much by shortening the March at +least 70 miles, besides the Advantage of having no Rivers to pass, as +We shall keep the Yeogheny upon our Left.... The Troops are all in +Motion ... but I have Retarded the March of some of them upon the Route +from this Place, as I am unwilling to bring them together till the Route +is finally determined." + +On the twenty-sixth Bouquet wrote Forbes as follows: + +"I am sending you a letter I have received from Major Armstrong. By the +report of the two guides he sent out it seems the thing is very +practicable; in an affair of so much consequence as this I thought I +ought to act with greatest caution. While the waggoner returned today +with an escort to reconnoitre how the road could be laid so as to avoid +all the detours and windings of the path; and I have asked Colonel Burd +to go with Rhor tomorrow to the top of the mountain (Allegheny) to +determine the straightest line from here to the foot of the ascent, and +to mark the turnings of the road to reach the top. I hope you will be +here on their return, and could then judge if it would be well to risk +this route. In 3 days the Major will return to Edmund's Swamp, where +there is abundant forage, and he will let me know what we must expect +from Lawrell Hill. A man who has been 50 times by this path to the Ohio +says that the remainder of the route after Loyal Hanny is a long series +of hills, with swamps and bogs, but not of great ascent. He is a man +named Fergusson, very limited, from whom one can elicit nothing precise; +I have sent him with the Major and Dunnings. Upon the Major's report, we +shall be sure of the route as far as Loyal Hanny; and, as regards the +remainder, I am sending out Captain Patterson tomorrow with 4 men, to +follow this same path to the end, and return forthwith to report, +observing the bad places, and the facilities afforded by the country for +obviating them, such as trees, stones, &c., the quantity of grass and +water, the defiles, distances, &c. He ought to be back in 12 days at +latest. Colonel Washington has had the beginning of the road cut from +Braddock, [along Braddock's Road?] which I have fixed at 10 miles from +Fort Cumberland. You will have been informed by the guides I sent you +of the advantages of this route which is open, and needs very little in +the way of repair; its drawbacks consist in the want of forage, its +length, its defiles, and the crossing of rivers. Colonel Washington, who +is animated with sincere zeal to contribute to the success of this +expedition, and is ready to march wheresoever you may decide, writes me +that, from all he has heard and from all the information he has been +able to collect, our route is impracticable even for packhorses, so bad +are the mountains, and that the Braddock road is the only one to take +&c. + +"There, my dear General, you have in brief the reports and opinions +which have reached me; I will add no reflection of my own, hoping to see +you every day. Do you not think it would be well to see Colonel +Washington here, before making your decision? and if our parties +continue to send favourable news, to convert him to give way to the +evidence?" + +In reply to Washington's letter of the twenty-fifth Bouquet wrote: +"Nothing can exceed your generous dispositions for the service. I see +with the utmost satisfaction, that you are above the influences of +prejudice, and ready to go heartily where reason and judgement shall +direct. I wish, sincerely, that we may all entertain one and the same +opinion; therefore I desire to have an interview with you at the houses +built half way between our camps. I will communicate all the +intelligence, which it has been in my power to collect; and, by weighing +impartially the advantages and disadvantages of each route, I hope we +shall be able to determine what is most eligible, and save the General +trouble and loss of time."[68] + +Concerning this meeting Washington wrote as follows to his friend Major +Francis Halket, then in Forbes's camp at Carlisle: "I am just returned +(August 2^{nd})[69] from a conference with Colonel Bouquet. I find him +fixed, I think I may say unalterably fixed, to lead you a new way to the +Ohio, through a road, every inch of which is to be cut at this advanced +season, when we have scarce time left to tread the beaten track, +universally confessed to be the best passage through the mountains. If +Colonel Bouquet succeeds in this point with the General, all is +lost,--all is lost indeed,--our enterprise will be ruined, and we shall +be stopped at the Laurel Hill this winter; but not to gather _laurels_, +except of the kind that covers the mountains. The Southern Indians will +turn against us, and these colonies will be desolated by such an +accession to the enemy's strength. These must be the consequences of a +miscarriage; and a miscarriage is the almost necessary consequence of +our attempt to march the army by this new route. I have given my reasons +at large to Colonel Bouquet. He desired that I would do so, that he +might forward them to the General. Should this happen, you will be able +to judge of their weight. I am uninfluenced by prejudice, having no +hopes or fears but for the general good. Of this you may be assured, and +that my sincere sentiments are spoken on this occasion." + +Concerning the same interview Bouquet wrote Forbes (July 31): "I have +had an interview with Colonel Washington, to ascertain how he conceives +the difficulties could be overcome; I got no satisfaction from it; _the +majority of these gentlemen do not know the difference between a party +and an army_, and, overlooking all difficulties, they believe everything +to be easy which flatters their ideas. What I shall have to tell you on +this point cannot be discussed in a letter...." + +In this same letter Bouquet wrote, concerning the general situation: +"You will see from the extract appended from Major Armstrong's letters +the report he makes thereupon. All seems practicable and even easy, but +I put too little confidence in the observations of a young man without +experience to act upon his judgement. I have therefore sent Colonel +Burd, Rhor and Captain Ward to reconnoitre the Allegheny, to make an +examination of all the difficulties, and thus put me into a position to +decide what reliance is to be placed on the rest of the discoveries. +Unfortunately they have found things very different, and this mountain +which these gentlemen crossed so easily is worse than Seydeling Hill, +and the ascent much longer. Considering that it was impossible to cut a +waggon road on this slope without immense labour, they searched along +the mountain for another pass, and found about two miles to the North a +gap of which no one was aware.... It seems that, with much labour, one +might make a much easier road there than the other; it remains to be +seen what obstacles are still to be encountered before Loyal Hanning. +Sir John has arrived, and I have communicated to him all I know on the +subject; and he starts today or tomorrow morning with Colonel Burd, Rhor +and 200 men to reconnoitre this gap, and the whole route as far as Loyal +Hanning. He will spend 6 or 7 days on this survey, and I hope on his +return you will be able to form a decision. And, in order that no time +may be lost, I will make a commencement of the work if the thing is +practicable without awaiting your orders. I have thought it best not to +do so up to the present, in order not to lay ourselves open to public +reflections if we commenced and abandoned different routes. I agree with +you that you cannot take the Cumberland route untill you are in a +position to demonstrate the impossibility of finding another road, or at +any rate the impossibility of opening one without risking the expedition +by too great an expenditure of time. We are in a cruel position, if you +are reduced to a single line of communication. It is 64 miles from +Cumberland to Gist, and there are only three places capable of +furnishing forage sufficient for the army; the rest would not suffice +for a single night. The frost, which commences at the end of October, +destroys all the grass, and the rivers overflowing in the spring cut off +all communication.... If we open a new route, we have not enough axes." +On the same day Forbes wrote Bouquet by the hand of Halket a decisive +letter in which he said: "he [Forbes] thinks that no time should be lost +in making the new Road, he has directed me to inform you that you are +immediately to begin the opening of it agreeable to the manner he wrote +to you in his last letter, as he sees all the advantages he can propose +by going that Route, and will avoid innumerable Inconveniencys he would +encounter was he to go the other, he is at the same time extremely +surprised at the partial disposition that appears in those Virginia +Gentlemans sentiments, as there can be no sort of comparison between the +two Routes when you consider the situation of the Troops now at +Reastown, & that their is not the least reason to expect that we shall +meet with any difficulties but what may be easily surmounted." On the +next day but one Forbes wrote: "he [Halket] told you my opinion of the +Laurell Hill road, and that I thought it ought to be sett about +directly, as it is good to have two Strings to one Bow." + +On this day Washington wrote a last letter to Bouquet in behalf of the +Braddock route: + +"The matters, of which we spoke relative to the roads, have since our +parting, been the subject of my closest reflection; and, so far am I +from altering my opinion, that, the more time and attention I bestow, +the more I am confirmed in it; and the reasons for taking Braddock's +road appear in a stronger point of view. To enumerate the whole of these +reasons would be tedious, and to you, who are become so much master of +the subject, unnecessary. I shall therefore, briefly mention a few only, +which I think so obvious in themselves, that they must effectually +remove objections. Several years ago the Virginians and Pennsylvanians +commenced a trade with the Indians settled on the Ohio, and, to obviate +the many inconveniencies of a bad road, they, after reiterated and +ineffectual efforts to discover where a good one might be made, employed +for the purpose several of the most intelligent Indians, who, in the +course of many years' hunting, had acquired a perfect knowledge of these +mountains. The Indians, having taken the greatest pains to gain the +rewards offered for this discovery, declared, that the path leading from +Will's Creek was infinitely preferable to any, that could be made at any +other place. Time and experience so clearly demonstrated this truth, +that the Pennsylvania traders commonly carried out their goods by Will's +Creek. Therefore, the Ohio Company, in 1753, at a considerable expense, +opened the road. In 1754 the troops, whom I had the honor to command, +greatly repaired it, as far as Gist's plantation; and, in 1755, it was +widened and completed by General Braddock to within six miles of Fort +Duquesne. A road, that has so long been opened, and so well and so often +repaired, must be much firmer and better than a new one, allowing the +ground to be equally good. + +"But, supposing it were practicable to make a road from Raystown quite +as good as General Braddock's,--I ask, have we time to do it? Certainly +not. To surmount the difficulties to be encountered in making it over +such mountains, covered with woods and rocks, would require so much +time, as to blast our otherwise well-grounded hopes of striking the +important stroke this season. + +"The favorable accounts, that some give of the forage on the Raystown +road, as being so much better than that on the other, are certainly +exaggerated. It is well known, that, on both routes, the rich valleys +between the mountains abound with good forage, and that those, which are +stony and bushy, are destitute of it. Colonel Byrd and the engineer, who +accompanied him, confirm this fact. Surely the meadows on Braddock's +road would greatly overbalance the advantage of having grass to the foot +of the ridge, on the Raystown road; and all agree, that a more barren +road is nowhere to be found, than that from Raystown to the inhabitants, +which is likewise to be considered. + +"Another principal objection made to General Braddock's road is in +regard to the waters. But these seldom swell so much, as to obstruct the +passage. The Youghiogany River, which is the most rapid and soonest +filled, I have crossed with a body of troops, after more than thirty +days' almost continued rain. In fine, any difficulties on this score are +so trivial, that they really are not worth mentioning. The Monongahela, +the largest of all these rivers, may, if necessary, easily be avoided, +as Mr. Frazer the principal guide informs me, by passing a defile, and +even that, he says, may be shunned. + +"Again, it is said, there are many defiles on this road. I grant that +there are some, but I know of none that may not be traversed; and I +should be glad to be informed where a road can be had, over these +mountains, not subject to the same inconvenience. The shortness of the +distance between Raystown and Loyal Hanna is used as an argument against +this road, which bears in it something unaccountable to me; for I must +beg leave to ask, whether it requires more time, or is more difficult +and expensive, to go one hundred and forty-five miles in a good road +already made to our hands, than to cut one hundred miles anew, and a +great part of the way over impassable mountains. + +"That the old road is many miles nearer Winchester in Virginia, and Fort +Frederic in Maryland, than the contemplated one, is incontestable; and I +will here show the distances from Carlisle by the two routes, fixing the +different stages, some of which I have from information only, but others +I believe to be exact. + + _From Carlisle to Fort Duquesne by way of Raystown._ + + MILES. + From Carlisle to Shippensburg 21 + " Shippensburg to Fort Loudoun 24 + " Fort Loudoun to Fort Littleton 20 + " Fort Littleton to Juniatta Crossing 14 + " Juniatta Crossing to Raystown 14 + ---- + 93 + " Raystown to Fort Duquesne 100 + ---- + 193 + + _From Carlisle to Fort Duquesne, by way of Forts Frederic and + Cumberland._ + + MILES. + From Carlisle to Shippensburg 21 + " Shippensburg to Chambers's 12 + " Chambers's to Pacelin's 12 + " Pacelin's to Fort Frederic 12 + " Fort Frederic to Fort Cumberland 40 + ---- + 97 + " Fort Cumberland to Fort Duquesne 115 + ---- + 212 + +"From this computation there appears to be a difference of nineteen +miles only. Were all the supplies necessarily to come from Carlisle, it +is well known, that the goodness of the old road is a sufficient +compensation for the shortness of the other, as the wrecked and broken +wagons there clearly demonstrate.... + +"... From what has been said relative to the two roads, it appears to me +very clear, that the old one is infinitely better, than the other can be +made, and that there is no room to hesitate in deciding which to take, +when we consider the advanced season, and the little time left to +execute our plan." + +But Forbes's letter of the thirty-first was decisive, and, following his +orders, Colonel Bouquet began cutting a new road westward from Raystown +August 1. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE NEW ROAD + + +The correspondence included in the chapter preceding affords probably +the utmost light that can be thrown today upon the reason of the making +of the great Pennsylvanian thoroughfare to the Ohio. It cannot be +affirmed, as has often been said, that Forbes was early prejudiced in +favor of a Pennsylvania route; he never could have been such a hypocrite +as to pen the words to be found on page 94. That his first plans were +completely altered at the advice of Sir John St. Clair is very plain +from his letters to Governor Denny (March 20) and to Colonel Bouquet +(July 6); but up to the very last he leaves the question open, to be +decided wholly according to the reports of the guides and explorers. It +is difficult, however, to reconcile the words in Forbes's letter to +Bouquet of July 23, in which he states that St. Clair, when advising +the Raystown route, affirmed "that he nor nobody else knew anything of +the road leading from Laurell hill." It is evident from this that Forbes +originally expected to fall down to the Braddock road from Raystown, but +that when once on the ground, with the distances clear in his mind, he +was compelled to find a shorter road westward if there was one to be +found. This is the only explanation of his immediate change of plan at +St. Clair's advice, knowing that St. Clair had found no route westward +by Laurel Hill; it seems that St. Clair thought only of proceeding via +Raystown to Fort Cumberland, as he affirmed in his letter of June 9 to +Bouquet. St. Clair was undoubtedly right in deciding that the best +course to Fort Cumberland from Philadelphia for the army was through +populous Pennsylvania, and his understanding that the Braddock Road +would be followed from that point would easily explain why he had +provided forage at Fort Cumberland, which occasioned Forbes's criticism +in his letter of July 14. Indeed from Forbes's letters of June 16, 19, +and 27, it does not seem that he had any definite plan for the +construction of a new road. + +On the other hand Forbes very correctly doubted the advisability of +using Braddock's long route when his army was once gathered together +along the road from Carlisle to Raystown. Bouquet stated his (Forbes's) +position very soundly when he said: "You cannot take the Cumberland +until you are in a position to demonstrate the impossibility of finding +another road, or at any rate the impossibility of opening one without +risking the expedition by too great an expenditure of time." Moreover, +Forbes had a comprehensive view of the situation such as probably no one +else had. + +So far as Bouquet's position was concerned, his correspondence shows +that he was assiduous in carrying out Forbes's directions; as to any +conspiracy on his part to win Forbes over to the Pennsylvania route, as +Washington insinuated, who can believe one existed after reading his +letters? Bouquet very properly threw the burden of ultimate decision +upon Forbes, as it was his duty to do; he sent him all the information +which he could obtain, pro and con, concerning all routes; he sent +Colonel Burd out, with his guides, in order to have testimony upon which +he was sure he could rely; he urged Forbes to defer his decision of +route until he (Forbes) could have a personal interview with Washington; +he had Braddock's Road partly cleared and plainly described it as +needing "very little in the way of repair;" he never seems to have +attempted to minimize the difficulties of making a new route or maximize +those of the old; he continually urges the necessity of great caution in +the selection of a route. + +The motives which directed the movements of Sir John St. Clair during +these months of controversy are quite beyond fathoming. It is easy to +believe that the "new light," which Forbes said Sir John had received +"at Winchester," made it clear that if he did not send the army over the +southern route (Fort Frederick-Fort Cumberland) to Cumberland, it was +possible that Forbes would never traverse Braddock's Road at all. It is +certain that upon Governor Sharpe's and Washington's arrival upon the +scene, Sir John began to shower upon Bouquet letters advising the +opening of the Fort Frederick-Fort Cumberland road; "and I believe from +thence," Forbes wrote of St. Clair's meeting with Governor Sharpe, +"proceeded to the opening the road from Fort Frederick to Fort +Cumberland." Indeed, it would be interesting to know whether it was not +St. Clair's suddenly raised clamor over the length of the Raystown route +to Fort Cumberland (hoping to "drive" Forbes over the Fort Frederick +route) that determined Forbes to ignore Fort Cumberland and push out on +a new, shorter route to the Ohio. + +Whatever were St. Clair's reasons for such vacillating plans, it is sure +he fell into disgrace in Forbes's eyes. In addition to the upbraiding he +received from the general's own lips, Forbes wrote in his letter of July +14 that the wagons were the plague of his life and denied that St. Clair +had taken "the smallest pains" or made the "least inquiry" concerning +the matters he had been detailed to care for. Again, in Forbes's letter +to Bouquet of July 17 he says: "Sir John acknowledges taking some +(kettles &c from Pennsylvania troops) and applying them to the use of +the Virginians &c which is terrible." In a letter previously quoted +Forbes affirms that St. Clair--who was sent in advance of the army to +settle the matter of route--"knows nothing of the matter." Forbes's +wrath at St. Clair reached a climax before the end of August when he +savagely declared that he suspected his "heart as well as the head."[70] + +And now as to Washington. His letters are typical of the young man to +whom these western forests were not unfamiliar; they are patriotic and +loyal. Though he was standing for election to the House of Burgesses in +his home county, he had refused to accept a leave of absence to do his +electioneering--which in no wise prevented his election. I cannot find +any ill-boding prophecy in his letters, concerning the making of a new +road westward from Raystown, which after events did not justify. He +affirmed that Forbes could not reach Fort Duquesne by a new road before +the winter set in; and no prophecy ever seemed more accurately +fulfilled. For before Fort Duquesne was reached it was decided not to +attempt to continue the campaign further. An unexpected occurrence +suddenly turned the tide and Forbes went on--to a splendid conquest. +But, nevertheless, Washington's prophecy was, not long after it was +made, found to have been that of a wise man. Had Forbes been one iota +less fortunate than Braddock was unfortunate, Washington's words would +have come true to the letter. So much for his judgment, which Forbes +ignored. + +But Washington's knowledge was limited, so far as the general situation +of the army was concerned. Forbes's expedition was one of three +simultaneous campaigns; and the three commanders were somewhat dependent +upon each other. At any time Forbes might be called upon to give +assistance to Abercrombie or Johnson. Forbes was in constant +correspondence with both of his colleagues; after Abercrombie's repulse +the prosecution of the Fort Duquesne campaign, it may almost be said, +was in question. At any rate it was important to have open the shortest +possible route of communication to the northern colonies where the other +campaigns were being pushed; in case Fort Duquesne was captured a +straight road through populous, grain-growing Pennsylvania would be of +utmost importance; especially as Pennsylvania abounded in vehicles, +while in Virginia they were scarce. + +Washington thought only of a quick campaign completed in the same season +as begun. Forbes, however, was not in eager haste and had good reason +for moving slowly. As early as August 9 he wrote Bouquet: "Between you +and I be it said, as we are now so late, we are yet too soon. This is a +parable that I shall soon explain." Three reasons appealed to Forbes for +moving slowly, though it is doubtful if he intended moving as slowly as +he actually did move: Frederick Post, the missionary, had been sent to +the Indians on the Beaver asking them to withdraw from the French; the +Indian chiefs were invited to the treaty at Easton, where their alliance +with the French would, it was hoped, be undermined; winter was drawing +on apace, when the Indians who were with the French would withdraw to +their villages and begin to prepare for the inclement season. + +One of the direct serious charges brought against Washington was that he +did "not know the difference between a party and an army." This is +brought by Colonel Bouquet and I do not believe that he was in error or +that the accusation can be proved unjust. Washington had had much +experience, such as it was, in the Fort Necessity campaign, with +Braddock, and on the Virginia frontier. But the Fort Necessity campaign +was conspicuous as a political, not a military event. The force he led +west did not number two hundred men. This was, surely, a party, not an +army. Now, be it remembered, the great difficulty of leading any body of +men, small or great, lay in provisioning them and feeding the horses. +The larger the army the greater the difficulty--indeed the difficulty +trebled as the number of men and horses was doubled. On those mountain +roads the second wagon was drawn with much greater difficulty than the +first. Again, a small body of men could, in part, be supplied with food +from the forests; in the case of an army this source of supply must be +ignored. In the case of Washington's Fort Necessity campaign, how did +his handful of men fare? They nearly starved--and capitulated because +they did not have the food to give them the necessary strength to +retreat. This was not Washington's fault, for he, properly, left this +matter with those whose business it was; but the experience certainly +did not teach him how to handle an army. + +I cannot see that he had the opportunity to learn much more in +Braddock's campaign in 1755. He was that general's aide, a carrier of +messages and orders, and a member of the military family. He had ever +before his eyes a thousand examples of carelessness, chicanery, and +mismanagement, but those could not teach him how an army was to be cared +for properly. His advice was often asked and minded, but he gave it in +the capacity of a frontiersman, not as a tactician or officer. The one +exception was when he urged that Braddock divide the _army_ into two +_parties_ by sending a small flying column rapidly against Fort +Duquesne. + +It is clear from preceding pages that, on the Virginia frontier, he +learned no lessons on the control of large bodies of men. + +But now, in 1758, as colonel of an important branch of the army General +Forbes was throwing across the Alleghenies, Washington came forward +conspicuously as a champion of a certain route to be pursued by an army +of five thousand men. Frankly, what did he know of the needs of five +thousand men on a march of two hundred miles from their base of +supplies? His correspondence on this point is not satisfactory. He had +never passed over the Pennsylvania Road, and, though he understood +better than anyone what it meant to cut a new road, he does not answer +the argument that the Braddock Road failed to offer as much pasturage +for horses and cattle as the Pennsylvania route. He confines himself +largely to the matter of celerity: and the situation, as we have +explained, did not demand haste. Forbes had the best of reasons for +moving slowly. From a commissary's standpoint Washington's argument +could have had no weight whatever. + +Washington was strongly prejudiced in favor of the Virginia route; and +no man could have had better reasons for prejudice, as will be shown. He +argued conspicuously and vehemently on a subject with which he had no +experience. Great and good as he became, and brave and faithful as he +was, it is all the easier to confess to a weakness which was due to a +lack of experience and to loyal, old-time Virginia pride. It is an +exceedingly pleasant duty to emphasize the fact that, after his repeated +arguments were cast aside by his superiors and a route was chosen in the +face of the strongest opposition he could bring to bear on the subject, +the young man swallowed his chagrin and the slights under which his fine +spirit must have writhed, and worked manfully and heroically for +measures which he had heartily opposed. In all that he had done in the +past five years he never played the man better than here and now. + +It is very difficult to unravel what General Forbes continually calls +the plot of certain Virginians to force him into Braddock's Road. The +matter is of additional interest because, in his letter to Bouquet of +August 9, Forbes utters a very sharp criticism of Washington: "By a very +unguarded letter of Col. Washington's that accidentally fell into my +hands, I am now at the bottom of their scheme against this new road, a +scheme that I think was a shame for any officer to be concerned in, but +more of this at [our] meeting." Again on September 4 he wrote: +"Therefore [I] would consult C. Washington, altho perhaps not follow his +advice, as his Behaviour about the roads, was in no ways like a +soldier." What letter this was of Washington's I do not know. It could +not have been the letter written to Halket (page 113); it hardly seems +possible that it could have been the following letter which Washington +wrote to Governor Fouquier: "The Pennsylvanians, whose present as well +as future interest it was to have the expedition conducted through their +government, and along that way, because it secures their frontiers at +present, and their trade hereafter, a chain of forts being erected, had +prejudiced the General absolutely against the old road, and made him +believe that we were the partial people, and determined him at all +events to pursue that route."[71] The doubt is not whether Forbes would +have spoken sharply if he had seen this letter, but whether it could +have fallen into his hands. It was undoubtedly sent from Fort Cumberland +straight to Winchester and Williamsburg. From one point the letter does +Washington no credit, though it shows plainly that there was a bitter +factional fight and that he felt strongly the righteousness of the +Virginian side of the question, for which he is not to be blamed. As to +his accusation against his general, it seems to me unreasonably bitter. +Forbes's correspondence with Bouquet is convincing proof of the +falseness of Washington's theory that the Pennsylvanians "had prejudiced +the General absolutely against the old road ... and determined him at +all events to pursue that (new) route." After wrestling with the route +question two months Forbes wrote General Abercrombie as late as July 25 +that he was unwilling to bring the divisions of his army together "till +the Route is finally determined." Forbes had no predilection for +Pennsylvanians; when, in September, a spirit of jealousy appeared +concerning the province from which the army provisions should be +obtained, Forbes wrote Bouquet (September 17): "I believe neither you +nor I values one farthing where we get provisions from, provided we are +supplyed, or Interest ourselves either with Virginia or Pennsylvania, +which last I hope will be damn'd for their treatment of us with the +Waggons, and every other thing where they could profit by us from their +impositions, altho at the risque of our perdition." + +The controversy as to whether Forbes's route should be through +Pennsylvania or Virginia serves to bring into clear perspective one of +the most interesting and one of the most important phases of our +study--the meaning of the building of a road at that time to either one +of those colonies. Nothing could emphasize this more than the sharpness +of the quarrel and the position of those concerned in it. It meant very +much to Pennsylvania to have Forbes cut a road to the Ohio in both of +the two ways suggested by Washington to Governor Fouquier--it fortified +her frontier and opened a future avenue of trade. The Old Trading Path +had been her best course westward and her trade with the Indians had +been nothing to what it would now become. But such as it had been, it +was most distasteful to the Virginians to the south who called the West +their own. This rivalry was intense for more than a quarter of a century +and came near ending in bloodshed; the quarrel was only forgotten in the +tumultuous days of 1775. General Forbes seems to have understood very +well that his new road would be of utmost importance to Pennsylvania as +that province would then have a "nigher Communication [than Virginia] to +the Ohio;" and that was the very reason he cut it: because it was +shorter--not to please Pennsylvania. If Fort Duquesne was to be captured +and fortified and manned and supplied, the shortest route thither would +be, as the dark days of 1764 and 1775 and 1791 proved, a desperately +long road to travel. + +On the other hand the building of Forbes's road in Pennsylvania was a +boon which that province far less deserved than Virginia. Virginia men +and capital were foremost in the field for securing the Indian trade of +the Ohio; they had, nearly ten years before, secured a grant of land +between the Monongahela and Kanawha, and sent explorers and a number of +pioneers to occupy the land; their private means had been given to clear +the first white man's road thither and erect storehouses at Wills Creek +and Redstone; the activity of these ambitious, worthy men had brought on +the war now existing. When open strife became the colonies' only hope of +holding the West, Virginia was first and foremost in the field; the same +spirit that showed itself in commercial energy was very evident when war +broke out, and for four years Virginia had given of her treasure and of +her citizens for the cause. During this time Pennsylvania had hardly +lifted a finger, steadily pursuing a course which brought down upon her +legislators most bitter invectives from every portion of the colonies. +And now, in the last year of the war, the conquering army was to pass +through Pennsylvania to the Ohio, building a road thither which should +for all time give this province an advantage very much greater than that +ever enjoyed by any of the others. True, Braddock's Road curled along +over the mountains, but after the defeat by the Monongahela it had +never been used except by small parties on foot and had become well-nigh +impassable otherwise. We do not know what Washington wrote in the letter +which Forbes so roundly criticised, but it can easily be conceived, +without detriment to his character, that he might have spoken in a way +Forbes could not understand concerning lethargic Pennsylvania's +undeserved good fortune.[72] But Forbes had the present to deal with, +not the past, and the shortest route to the Ohio was all too long. + +This became alarmingly plain in a very short time after the day, August +1, on which Bouquet began to cut it. The story of the hewing of this +road cannot be told better than by quoting the fragments appertaining to +it contained in the letters of those closely concerned in its building. +Old St. Clair, who, as we have seen, was sent on by Forbes to Bouquet, +was the advance supervisor. As early as August 12 he was writing Bouquet +from "Camp on y^e Side of Alleganys" that not as much progress had been +made as he had hoped, and that the "Work to be done on this Road is +immense. Send as many men as you can with digging tools, this is a most +diabolical work, and whiskey must be had. I told you that the road wou'd +take 500 Men 5 Days in cutting to the Top of the Mountain." On the +sixteenth he wrote: "A small retrench^t is picked out at Kikeny +Pawlings." + + "... The Stages will be from Rays Town + to the Shanoe Cabins 11 Miles, + to S^r Allan McLeans camp 9 or 10 Miles + to Edmunds Swamp 9 or 10 Miles." + +"... The Pack Horses returning from Kikoney Paulins have taken the +other Road, so you may send them back loaded." + +Forbes, writing to Bouquet, refers as follows to the new road August 7: +"Extremely well satisfied with your accounts of the Road, and very glad +to find that you have, entered upon the making of it;" (August 9): "I +hope your new road advances briskly, and that from the Alleghany Hill to +Laurell Hill may be carrying forward by different partys, at the same +time, that you are making the pass of the Allegany practicable;" (August +15): "I hope the new road goes on fast and that soon we shall be able to +take post at Loyal Haning. I see nothing that can facilitate this more +than by still amusing the Enemy by pushing Considerable parties along +M^r Braddock's route, which parties might endeavour to try to find +communications betwixt the two roads where they approach the nearest, or +where most likely such passages can be found. As it will be necessary +very soon to make a disposition of our small Army I beg you will give +your thoughts a little that way. At present I think the greatest part +ought to be assembled at Raestown to make our main push by that road, +while Col^l Washington, or some other officer might push along the +other road and might join us if a Communication can be found when called +upon. But this is only an Idea in Embryo...." (August 18): "In carrying +forward the new road I think there might easily be a small road carried +on at the same time, at about 100 yards to the right and left of it, and +parallel with it, by which our flanking partys might advance easier +along with the line. I dont mean here to cut down any large trees, only +to clear away the Brushwood and saplins, so as the men either on foot or +on horseback may pass the easier along...." + +Bouquet forwarded this order to St. Clair on August 23, also writing: +"Colonel Burd is to command on the West of Lawrell Hill, and to march +without delay and before the Road is cut to Loyal H-- [Hannan]." On the +same date St. Clair wrote Bouquet from Stoney Creek as follows: "I wrote +you yesterday ... that three waggons have got to this place, the Road +not so good as I shall make it.... I hope to get to Kikoney Pawlins to +morrow night, if not shall do it next day. Tell Mr Sinclair to send me +my Down Quilt the weather is cold." That evening he wrote again, in +reply to Bouquet's letter, from "Kikoney Paulins:" "It is impossible for +me to tell you any more than I have done about the Road to L-- H-- +[Loyal Hannan]. I required 600 Men to make the Road over the Lai Ri--ge +in three days on condition I was to see it done my Self, and perhaps I +might reach L-- H the 3^d Day. I expect to get the Road cleared as far +as the clear fields a Mile from the foot of L--R on this Side, by the +time the A--y [army] comes up, and work afterwards with as many men as +the Other Corps will give me." From Edmonds Swamp St. Clair wrote next +(no date): "I got the Waggons safe as far as this post yesterday the +road is so far good, and if it had not rain'd so hard I was in hopes to +report the Road good this Night to Kikoney Pawlings.... If you think the +Road from Rays town to the Shanoe Cabins will be wet in the autumn, it +wou'd be well to open the Road over the two Risings, and it wou'd be +shorter for our Returned Waggons. I shall send out a Reconoitering party +25 Miles northward that we may know the Paths that lead to sidling +Hill." + +By the last of August all parties concerned were beginning to realize +that the young Washington had been telling some plain truth when he +urged Forbes not to try this new route. On the twenty-seventh Bouquet +wrote St. Clair: "I am extremely disappointed in my Expectation of the +Road being open before this time to the foot of Lawrell Hill ... push +that Road with all possible dispatch ... the Chief thing we want is the +Communication open for Waggons to Loyal Hannon. Employ all your Strength +there, and Colonel Burd has order to cut backwards to you from L. +Han.... Capt Dudgeon and M^r Dapt will oversee some Part of the Road, +and every body is to stir and make amend for their unaccountable +slowness." Bouquet blamed St. Clair for the delay and Forbes wrote him +from Shippensburg August 28: "The slow advance of the new road and the +cause of it touch me to the quick, it was a thing I early foresaw and +guarded again[st] such an assistant with all the force and Energy of +words that I was master of, but being over ruled was resolved to make +the most I could of a wrong head ... the Virginians who are able to +march ... might advance as far forward upon Braddock's road as to that +part of it which is most contiguous to our second deposite, which I +think might be about Saltlick Creek.... The using of Braddock's road I +have always had in mind was it only a blind--pray lose no time as that +does not oblidge us to march, before we see proper." + +Forbes alone realized that despatch was not to be, necessarily, the +secret of the success of his campaign, though he had urged Bouquet to +hasten the roadmaking as fast as possible. He had his eyes fixed +elsewhere than on the Allegheny ranges; he knew the Indians at Fort +Duquesne were weary of the listless campaign; that Bradstreet had been +sent against Fort Frontenac (which, if captured, would shut Fort +Duquesne completely off from Quebec); that by the first of September a +hundred Indians were already gathered at Easton ready for a treaty; that +the brave Post was now among the Delawares bringing the final +opportunity for them to abandon the French cause. On September 2 he +wrote Bouquet hinting of all these circumstances and urging delay in +everything but mere road-building. On the sixth of September Forbes +wrote Pitt: + +"In my last I had the honour to acquaint you, of my proceedings in the +new road across the Alleganey mountains, and over Laurell Hill, (leaving +the Rivers Yohieganey and Monongahela to my left hand) strait to the +Ohio, by which I have saved a great deal of way, and prevented the +misfortunes that the overflowing of those rivers might occasion. + +"I acquainted you likewise of the suspicions I had, of the small trust I +could repose in the Pennsylvanians in assisting of me with anyone +necessary, or any help in furthering the service that they did not think +themselves compelled to do by the words of your letter to them.... My +advanced post consisting of 1500 men, are now in possession of a strong +post 9 miles on the other side of Laurell Hill, and about 40 from Fort +Du Quesne, nor had the Enemy even suspected my attempting such a road +till very lately, they having been all along securing the strong +passes, and fords of the rivers upon Gen^l Braddock's route."[73] + + +Forbes had been in Philadelphia while Bouquet was struggling away at +Raystown with his thousand perplexities. Early in July he had proceeded +to Carlisle where he remained stricken down "with a cursed flux" until +the eleventh of August. Two days later he reached Shippensburg, where he +was again prostrated and unable to advance until the middle of +September. It is difficult to realize that the campaign had been +directed so largely by this prostrate man whose "excruciating pains" +often left him "as weak as a new-born infant" and who, when able to be +about camp, retired "at eight at night, if able to sit up so late." All +of this might well have been stated long ago but it is of particular +significance now that Forbes's correspondence of the whole summer has +been systematically reviewed. The very trials and perplexities, the +crying need for his bravery and resolution, seemed in a measure to keep +him alive. + +No one can study this campaign without yearning to know more of the +impetuous soul which threw its last grain of strength into making it a +triumphant success. The Indians called Forbes "The Head of Iron"--and no +words can better describe the man. Giving all praise possible to Bouquet +for his sturdy and active service throughout the summer, it is still +plain that the dying Forbes was the magnetic influence that made others +strong. Those were dark days at Raystown when at last the pale general +arrived upon the ground; "had not the General come up," wrote an officer +on the spot, "the Consequence wou'd have been dangerous."[74] Bouquet +was an invaluable man but the "Head of Iron" in command was needed. + +The remainder of the campaign has been often told and in detail. +Washington and his Virginians came northward over the newly-cut road to +Fort Bedford at Raystown and plunged westward to the Loyalhannan, to +which point Armstrong and St. Clair pushed the road-building. Washington +himself supervised the cutting of Forbes's road westward from Fort +Ligonier toward Fort Duquesne. Much as he had wrangled with Bouquet as +to the propriety of making a new road he was as good as his word and +worked heroically for its success. Never, even in Braddock's death-trap +on the Monongahela, did he come nearer giving his life to his country. +Forbes's first check came when Grant's command, sent forward from Fort +Ligonier to reconnoitre Fort Duquesne, was cut to pieces on Grant's Hill +within sight of the French fort. Eight hundred men went on the +expedition; two hundred and seventy-three were killed, wounded, or +captured. Bouquet reported the disaster to Forbes on the seventeenth of +September, upon which the sad man "deeply touched by this reverse," +writes Parkman, "yet expressed himself with a moderation that does him +honor." "Your letter of the seventeenth I read with no less surprise +than concern, as I could not believe that such an attempt would have +been made without my knowledge and concurrence. The breaking in upon our +fair and flattering hopes of success touches me most sensibly. There are +two wounded highland officers just now arrived, who give so lame an +account of the matter that one can draw nothing from them, only that my +friend Grant most certainly lost his wits, and by his thirst of fame +brought on his own perdition, and ran great risk of ours." The brave +generosity of these words is not so significant as the fact that this +pain-racked man, far behind on the road, had such a grasp of the +minutest detail of the whole campaign that Bouquet, he believed, would +not even send out a scouting party in force without his "knowledge and +concurrence." + +A letter from Forbes to Bouquet dated Reastown, September 23rd, contains +some interesting paragraphs: "The description of the roads is so various +and disagreeable that I do not know what to think or say. Lieutenant +Evans came down here the other day, and described Laurell Hill as, at +present, impracticable, but he said he could mend it with the assistance +of 500 men, fascines and fagots, in one day's time. Col. Stephens +writes Col. Washington that he is told by everybody that the road from +Loyal Hannon to the Ohio and the French fort is now impracticable. For +what reason, or why, he writes thus I do not know; but I see Col. +Washington and my friend, Col. Byrd, would rather be glad this was true +than otherways, seeing the other road (their favourite scheme) was not +followed out. I told them plainly that, whatever they thought, yet I did +aver that, in our prosecuting the present road, we had proceeded from +the best intelligence that could be got for the good and convenience of +the army, without any views to oblige any one province or another; and +added that those two gentlemen were the only people that I had met with +who had shewed their weakness in their attachment to the province they +belong to, by declaring so publickly in favour of one road without their +knowing anything of the other, having never heard from any Pennsylvania +person one word about the road; and that, as for myself, I could safely +say--and believed I might answer for you--that the good of the service +was the only view we had at heart, not valuing the provincial interest, +jealousys, or suspicions, one single two-pence; and that, therefore, I +could not believe Col. Stephen's descriptions untill I had heard from +you, which I hope you will very soon be able to disprove. I fancy what I +have said more on this subject will cure them from coming upon this +topic again." + +Forbes's next check was more ominous than Grant's scrimmage. It was not +administered by the French--though they followed up the decisive victory +on Grant's Hill with various attacks in force upon Fort Ligonier--but by +the clouded heavens. A wet autumn set in early as if to make St. Clair's +road doubly "diabolical." Forbes wrote Bouquet on October 15: "Your +Description of the roads pierces me to the very soul yet still my hopes +are that a few Dry days would make things wear a more favourable aspect +as all Clay Countries are either good or bad for Carriages according to +the wet or dry season. It is true we cannot surmount impossibilities nor +prevent unforseen accidents but it must be a comfort both to you and I +still that we proceeded w^t Caution in the choice of this road and in +the opinion of every Disinterested man, it had every advantage over the +other. And I am not sure but it has so still considering the Yachiogeny +& Monongehela rivers--so I beg y^t you will without taking notice to any +body make yourself master of the arguments for and objections against +the two roads so that upon comparison one may Judge how far we have been +in the right in our Choice. N. B. If any party goes out after the Enemy +they ought to have instructions always with regard to the roads forward +as likewise ye Communication twixt Loyalhana and the nearest part of M^r +Braddocks road which want of all things to be reconnoitred in order to +stop foolish mouths if it chances to prove anyways as good or +practicable. May not such a communication be found without crossing +Laurel hill?" + +These are exceedingly interesting words when we know that failure stared +Forbes in the face. This might mean official inquiry or court martial; +in such a case there would have been, no doubt, question raised as to +the "right" of Forbes's and Bouquet's "choice." But the fact that +Forbes desired to know the exact condition of Braddock's Road, to get +into it if it seemed best, and to prove the soundness of his judgment if +it was found to be useless, is especially significant because it shows +so plainly that the weary man already scented failure. In a few days he +wrote again: "These four days of constant rain have completely ruined +the road. The wagons would cut it up more in an hour than we could +repair in a week. I have written to General Abercrombie, but have not +had one scrap of a pen from him since the beginning of September; so it +looks as if we were either forgot or left to our fate." + +Early in November the poor man was carried on over the mountains to Fort +Ligonier where the whole army, approximately six thousand strong, lay. +Hope of continuing the campaign had fled and the desperate prospect of +wintering amid the mountains, with no certainty of receiving sufficient +stores to keep man and beast alive, stared the whole army in the face. +Nevertheless, at a council of officers it was decided to attempt nothing +further that season. + +In a few hours three prisoners were brought into camp who reported the +true condition of affairs at Fort Duquesne. Bradstreet had destroyed the +stores destined for the Ohio by the destruction of Fort Frontenac. +Ligneris, the commandant, had consequently been compelled to send home +his Illinois and Louisiana militia. The brave Post had succeeded in +alienating the Ohio Indians. The remainder at Fort Duquesne were glad +now to hurry away into their winter quarters in their distant homelands. +The gods had favored the brave. + +Immediately Forbes determined upon a hurried advance with a picked body +of twenty-five hundred men, unencumbered. Washington and Armstrong +hastened ahead to cut the pathway. A strong vanguard led the way. Behind +them came the hero of the hour and of the campaign, Forbes, borne on his +litter. The Highlanders occupied the center of the rear, with the Royal +Americans and provincials on their right and left under Bouquet and +Washington. On the night of the twenty-fourth the little army lay on its +arms in the hills of Turkey Creek, near Braddock's fatal field. At +midnight a booming report startled them. Were the French welcoming the +long-expected reenforcements from Presque Isle and Niagara--or had a +magazine exploded? In the morning some advised a delay to reconnoitre. +Forbes scorned the suggestion; "I will sleep," he is said to have +exclaimed, "in Fort Duquesne or in hell tonight." + +At dusk that November evening the army marched breathlessly down the +wide, hard trace over which Beaujeu had led his rabble toward Braddock's +army and, without opposition, came at last within sight of the goal upon +which the eyes of the world had been directed so long. The barracks and +store-house of Fort Duquesne were burned, the fortifications blown up +and the French--gone forever. + +Two days later a weary man sat within an improvised house and with a +feeble hand indited a letter to the British Secretary of State. And all +it contained was summed up in its first words: "Pittsbourgh 27^{th} +Novem^r 1758." It was Pitt's bourgh now. The region about the junction +of the Allegheny and Monongahela was known in Kentucky as "the Pitt +country." + +The generous Bouquet expressed the sentiment of the army when he +affirmed: "After God, the success of this expedition is entirely due to +the General." When Forbes's physical condition is understood, his last +campaign must be considered one of the most heroic in the annals of +America. "Its solid value was above price. It opened the Great West to +English enterprise, took from France half her savage allies, and +relieved the western borders from the scourge of Indian war. From +southern New York to North Carolina, the frontier populations had cause +to bless the memory of the steadfast and all-enduring soldier."[75] + +Forbes soon became unable to write or dictate a letter. On the terrible +return journey over his freshly-hewn road he suffered intensely, +sometimes losing consciousness. He was carried the entire distance to +Philadelphia on his litter, and in March he died. His body, at last free +from pain, was laid with befitting honors in the chancel of Christ +Church. + +The following death notice and appreciation of General Forbes appeared +in the Pennsylvania _Gazette_ March 15, 1759: + +"On Sunday last, died, of a tedious illness, John Forbes, Esq., in the +49th year of his age, son to ---- Forbes, Esq., of Petmerief, in the +Shire of Fife, in Scotland, Brigadier General, Colonel of the 17th +Regiment of North America; a gentleman generally known and esteemed, and +most sincerely and universally regretted. In his younger days he was +bred to the profession of physic, but, early ambitious of the military +character, he purchased into the Regiment of _Scott's Grey Dragoons_, +where, by repeated purchases and faithful services, he arrived to the +rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His superior abilities soon recommended him +to the protection of General Campbell, the Earl of Stair, Duke of +Bedford, Lord Ligonier, and other distinguished characters in the army; +with some of them as an aid; with the rest in the familiarity of a +family man. During the last war he had the honor to be employed in the +post of Quarter-Master General, in the army under his Royal Highness, +the Duke, which duty he discharged with accuracy, dignity and dispatch. +His services in America are well known. By a steady pursuit of +well-concerted measures, in defiance of disease and numberless +obstructions, he brought to a happy issue a most extraordinary campaign, +and made a willing sacrifice of his own life to what he valued more--the +interests of his king and country. As a man he was just and without +prejudices; brave, without ostentation; uncommonly warm in his +friendships, and incapable of flattery; acquainted with the world and +mankind, he was well-bred, but absolutely impatient of formality and +affectation. As an officer, he was quick to discern useful men and +useful measures, generally seeing both at first view, according to their +real qualities; steady in his measures, and open to information and +council; in command he had dignity without superciliousness; and though +perfectly master of the forms, never hesitated to drop them, when the +spirit and more essential parts of the service required it. + +"Yesterday, (14th,) he was interred in the Chancel of Christ's Church, +in this city." + +A fellow-countryman of Forbes has built beside Forbes's Road (now Forbes +Street), in the city of Pittsburg, a magnificent library. What could be +more fitting or beautiful than that this brave Scotchman's memory should +be honored with a monumental pillar here on his road which "opened the +Great West to English enterprise?" And let it bear the sweet human +testimony of a British historian: "No general was ever more beloved by +the men under his command."[76] + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE MILITARY ROAD TO THE WEST + + +There is another hero of Forbes's Road. The rough days of that summer of +1758 were only suggestions of what was to come. Other armies than that +of Forbes were to pass this way, for, be it understood at once, Forbes's +Road became the great military highway into the West. No single road in +America witnessed so many campaigns; no road in America was fortified by +such a chain of forts. For a generation this route from Lancaster by +Carlisle, Bedford, Ligonier to Pittsburg was the most important +thoroughfare to the West. + +The French retired from Fort Duquesne, down the Ohio and up the +Allegheny. The remainder of the war was fought far away on the St. +Lawrence. Hardly a shot was fired in the West after the skirmishes at +Fort Ligonier succeeding Grant's defeat. The French at Venango and +Detroit made light of Forbes's occupation of Fort Duquesne. They had +retired voluntarily and swore to return in the spring. In a dozen +western posts the French bragged still of their possession of the West +and of their future conquests. The Indians believed each boast. + +In the next year's campaign Quebec fell. New France passed away, and all +French territory east of the Mississippi, save only a fishing station on +the island of Newfoundland came into the hands of the English. But this +campaign was fought in the far northeast. Of it the West and its +redskinned inhabitants knew nothing. Fort Niagara was the most westerly +fort which had succumbed; Fort Duquesne, technically, was evacuated. The +real story of the successive French defeats was, perhaps, little heard +of in the West; or, if communicated to the Indian allies there, the +logical conclusion was not plain to them. How could a land be conquered +where not a single battle had been fought? So far as the Indians were +concerned, France was never more in possession of their western lakes +and forests than then. Was not the blundering Braddock killed and his +fine army utterly put to rout? Were not the French forts in the +West--Presque Isle, Venango, Le Boeuf, Miami, and Detroit, secure? +Fort Duquesne could be reoccupied whenever the French would give the +signal. The leaden plates of France still reposed at the mouths of the +rivers of the West and the Arms of the King of France still rattled in +the wind which swept the land. + +Fancy the surprise of the Indians, then, when little parties of redcoat +soldiers came into the West, and, with quiet insolence, took possession +of the French forts and of the Indian's land! And the French moved +neither hand nor foot to oppose them, though through so many years they +had boasted their prowess, and though ten Wyandots could have done so +successfully. Detroit was surrendered to a mere corporal's guard, and +the lesser forts to a sentry's watch each. It remained for the newcomers +to inform the Indians of the events which led to the changing of the +flags on these inland fortresses--to tell them that the French armies +had been utterly overwhelmed, and the French capital captured, and +French rule in America at an end. + +But these explanations, given glibly, no doubt, by arrogant English +officers, were repeated over and over by the Indians, and slowly, before +a hundred, yea, a thousand dim fires in the forests. We can believe it +was not all plain to them, this sudden conquest of a country where +hardly a battle had been fought for eight years, and that battle the +greatest victory ever achieved by the red man. Perhaps messengers were +sent back to the forts to gain, casually, additional information +concerning this marvelous conquest by proxy. French traders, as +ignorant, or feigning to be, as the Indians, were implored to explain +the sudden forgetfulness of the French "Father" of the Indians. + +It was inexplicable. The news spread rapidly: "The French have +surrendered our land to the English." Fierce Shawanese around their +fires at Chillicothe on the Scioto heard the news, and sullenly passed +it on westward to the Miamis, and eastward to the angered Delawares on +the Muskingum, who had now forgotten Frederick Post. The Senecas on the +upper Allegheny heard the news. The Ottawas and Wyandots on both sides +of the Detroit River heard it--and before the fires of each of these +fierce French-loving Indian nations there was much silence while +chieftains pondered, and the few words uttered were stern and cruel. + +Cruel words grew to angry threats. By what right, the chieftains asked, +could the French surrender the Black Forest to the English? When did the +French come to own the land, after all? They were the guests, the +friends of the Indian--not his conquerors. The French built forts, it is +true, but they were for the Indian as well as for the French, and were +forts in name only, and the more of them the merrier! But now a +conqueror had come, telling the Indian the land was no longer his, but +belonged to the British king. + +Threats soon grew into visible form. Where it started is not surely +known--some say from the Senecas on the upper Allegheny--but soon a +fearful Bloody Belt went on a journey with its terrible summons to war. +It passed to the Delawares and to the Shawanese and Miamis and Wyandots, +and where it went the death halloo sounded through the forests. The call +was to the Indians of the Black Forest to rise and cast out the English +from the land. If the French could not have it, certainly no one else +should. The dogs of war were loosened. The young warriors of the +Allegheny and Muskingum and Scioto and Miami and Detroit danced wildly +before the fires, and the old men sang their half-forgotten war chants. + +The terrible war which in 1763 burst over the West has never been +paralleled by savages the world over in point of swift success. This may +be attributed to the fact that a leader was found in Pontiac, a +chieftain in the Ottawa nation, who for daring and intelligence was +never matched by a man of his race. He had the courage of sweeping and +patriotic convictions. He saw in the English occupation of the land the +doom of the red man. Indeed he must have seen it before, but if so he +had not had an opportunity to put his convictions to a public test. The +Indian was becoming a changed man. The implements and utensils of the +white man were adopted by the red. The independent forest arts of their +fathers were beginning to be forgotten. Kettles and blankets and powder +and lead were taking the place of the wooden bowls and fur robes and +swift flint heads. In another generation the art of making a living for +himself in the forest would be forgotten by the Indian, and he would +henceforth be absolutely dependent upon the foreigner. All this Pontiac +saw. He felt commissioned to lead a return to nature. The arts of the +white man must be discarded and the Indians must come back to their +primitive mode of living in dependence upon their own skill and +ingenuity. + +And so Pontiac waged a religious war. At a great convention of the +savages he told them that a Delaware Indian had, while lost in the +forests, been guided into a path which led to the home of the Great +Spirit, and, on coming there, had been upbraided by the Master of Life +himself for the degenerate state to which his race was falling. The +forest arts of their fathers must be encouraged and relied upon. The +utensils of the white man must be banished from the wigwams. Bows and +arrows and tomahawks and stone hatchets should not be discarded. +Otherwise the Great Spirit would take away their land from them and give +it to others. And so, much of the fury which accompanied the war was a +sort of religious frenzy. "The Master of Life himself has stirred us +up," said the warriors. + +Pontiac's plot--undoubtedly the most comprehensive military campaign +ever conceived in redman's brain--was discovered by the British at Fort +Miami, on the Maumee River, in March 1763, four years after the fall of +Quebec. There the Bloody Belt was found and secured before it could be +forwarded to the Wabash with its murderous message. By threats and +warnings the untutored English officers thought to quell the +disturbance. Amherst, his Majesty's commanding general in America, +haughtily condemned the signs of revolution as "unwarranted." Moreover +he gave his officers in the West authority to declare to the Indian +chieftains that if they should conspire they would in his eyes, make "a +contemptible figure!" Time passed and the garrisons breathed easily as +quiet reigned. + +It was but the lull before the storm. On the seventh of May, Pontiac, +who led his Ottawas at Braddock's defeat, appeared before Detroit, the +metropolis of the northwest, with three hundred warriors. The +watchfulness of the brave Major Gladwin, a well-trained pupil in that +school on Braddock's Road, and the failure of Pontiac to capture the +fort by strategy, though his warriors were admitted within its walls and +had shortened guns concealed beneath their blankets, was the dramatic +beginning of a reign of terror and a war of devastation all the way from +Sault St. Marie to even beyond the crest of the Alleghenies. Pontiac +immediately invested Detroit and throughout the Black Forest his +faithful allies did their Ottawa chieftain's will. On the sixteenth of +May, Fort Sandusky was surrounded by Indians seemingly friendly. The +British commander permitted seven to enter. As they sat smoking, by the +turn of a head the signal was given and the commander was a prisoner. +As he was hurried out of the fort he saw, here one dead soldier, there +another--victims of the massacre. Nine days later a band of Indians +appeared before the fort at the mouth of the St. Joseph. "We are come to +see our relatives," they said, "and wish the garrison good morning." +Within two minutes after their entrance the commanding officer and three +men were prisoners and eleven others were murdered. Two days later the +commander of Fort Miami, on the Maumee River, came, at an Indian girl's +pitiful plea, to the Indian village to bleed a sick child. He was shot +in his tracks. Four days later the commander of Fort Ouatianon, on the +Wabash, was inveigled into an Indian cabin and captured, the fort +surrendering forthwith. Two days later Indians gathered at Fort +Michilimackinac to engage in a game of lacrosse. At the height of the +contest the ball was thrown near a gate of the fort. In the twinkling of +an eye the commanding officer who stood watching the game was seized, +and the Indians, snatching tomahawks from under the blankets of squaws +who were standing in proper position, entered the fort and killed +fifteen soldiers outright and took the remainder of the garrison +prisoners. + +Sixteen days later Fort Le Boeuf, on French Creek, where Washington +delivered his message to the haughty St. Pierre a decade before, was +attacked by an overwhelming army of savages. Keeping the enemy off until +midnight, the garrison made good its escape, unknown to the exultant +besiegers who had already fired one corner bastion, and fled down the +river to Fort Pitt. On their way they passed the smouldering ruins of +Fort Venango. Two days later Fort Presque Isle was attacked. In two days +the commander, senseless with terror, struck his flag. The same day Fort +Ligonier on Forbes's Road was invested by a besieging army. + +Thus the campaign of Pontiac, prosecuted with such swiftness and such +success, bade fair to end in triumph. "We hate the English," the Indians +sent word to the French on the Mississippi, "and wish to kill them. We +are all united: the war is our war, and we will continue it for seven +years. The English shall never come into the West!" + +But Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt stood firm. For months Pontiac +beleaguered the northern fortress, gaining advantages whenever the +garrison attacked him, but unable to reduce the fort. All summer long +the eyes of the world were upon Detroit; and the gallant defense of Fort +Pitt, was, comparatively, forgotten. But the maintenance of this +strategic point was of incalculable importance to the West. The garrison +felt this. And here, if anywhere, was courage shown in battle. Here, if +ever, brave men faced fearful odds with unshaken courage worthy of their +Saxon blood. + +In planning his campaign Pontiac delegated the Shawanese and Delawares +to carry Fort Pitt. If they could not do it he might be assured that the +position was impregnable. They were his most reliable warriors, and, +once given the task of carrying out the second most important _coup_ of +their great leader's plan, could be trusted to use any alternative +savage lust could suggest, or trick savage cunning could invent in order +to accomplish their portion of the terrible conquest of the West. The +defense of Detroit was brave; but Detroit was on the great water highway +east and west. Succor was possible, in fact probable, in time; if not, +there was a way of escape. At Fort Pitt could either be expected? The +only approach to it was this indifferent roadway hewn westward from +Bedford in 1758. Moreover the fort had never been completed. On three +sides the flood tides of the rivers had injured it. Ecuyer, its valiant +defender, threw up a rough rampart of logs and palisaded the interior. +And in this fragile fortress, hardly worthy of the name, behind which +lay the darkling Alleghenies and about which loomed the Black Forest, +were gathered some six hundred souls, a larger community, probably, than +the total population of Detroit. And around on every side were gathered +the lines of ochred warriors preparing for another charge even to the +very blood-bespattered walls. The garrison might well have believed +itself beyond the reach of succor, if indeed succor could avail before +need of it had vanished. The bones of Braddock's seven hundred slain +lay scattered about the forests only seven miles away. Could another +army come again? Little wonder that the Shawanese and Delawares were +already flushed with victory as they renewed their unavailing attacks. + +The task of relieving Fort Pitt was placed upon the tried shoulders of +Colonel Henry Bouquet, whose brilliant services in Forbes's campaign +have been fully described. Amherst, then commanding in America, sent him +the remains of the Forty-second and Seventy-seventh regiments, which +amounted to the pitiful total of three hundred and forty-seven men and +officers; concerning additional troops Amherst was painfully plain: +"Should the whole race of Indians take arms against us I can do no +more." Recruits joined the army as it moved along through Lancaster and +Carlisle, which augmented the force slightly. + +But the brave Bouquet, with an army not exceeding five hundred men, set +out westward from Bedford on the rough road he himself had made with the +vanguard of the "Head of Iron" five years before. The appalling +condition in which he found the country along the border would have +daunted a less bold man. Every fort from Lake Erie to the Ohio had been +razed to the ground. The whole country was panic-stricken. Houses were +left vacant or burned, together with crops, and the mountain roads were +blocked with fugitives, half famished, who threw themselves upon the +intrepid Bouquet at his camps. It was indeed a trying time, a time for +such a man as Bouquet to show himself. + +Never did the success of a campaign in the history of war depend more on +the sagacity, bravery, and personal knowledge of a single commanding +officer. This daring Swiss was everywhere and everything. He knew that +the enemy, though they retired before him even as he approached Fort +Ligonier, were watching every movement of the coming army. He knew they +were cognizant of his weakness, the debility of his men, the lack of +provision, the paucity of scouts and spies. He knew, and so did the +silent, lurking spies of the enemy, that Braddock's slain outnumbered +his whole force. + +But Ligonier--named by Bouquet himself from a warrior whose bravery was +now his inspiration--was not a place to pause, though just beyond lay +the death-trap where Aubrey had defeated the ill-fated Grant five years +before. On he went. As the inevitable battle-ground was neared Bouquet +redoubled his watchfulness. When a darker defile than usual was reached, +with a rifle across his lap, the commander went forward and himself led +the army's van into it. + +On the morning of the fifth of August tents were struck early and +another day's march commenced. Over broken country enveloped in forests +the army went its way. By one o'clock they had made seventeen miles and +were not less than half a mile from Bushy Run, their proposed camping +place. Suddenly was heard the report of rifle fire in front. As the main +army listened the noise quickened to a sharp rattle--and the decisive +battle of Bushy Run was commenced. + +The two foremost companies were ordered forward to support the vanguard +now hotly engaged. This causing no abatement, the convoy was halted and +a general charge formed. By an onward rush, with fixed bayonets, Bouquet +and his eager men cleared the field. But firing on the right and left +and in the rear announced that both flanks and the convoy were +simultaneously attacked. An order was given to fall back. This having +been executed, an unbroken circle was formed about the terrified horses. + +Though in number the combatants were nearly equal, the savages had all +the advantage of a superior force fighting under cover. Bouquet's army, +like Braddock's, was in the open. With furious cries accompanied by a +heavy fire, the Indians attempted to break the iron circle. And they +fought with sly cunning. Not waiting to receive the answering attacks, +they leaped behind the nearest trees, only to come back to the attack +with increased ferocity from another quarter. The English suffered +severely while the active Indians, under cover, were almost untouched. +Nothing but implicit confidence in Bouquet could have inspired this +little army with the steadiness it displayed. No one lost composure. +Each man knew they could not retreat or advance--fight they must and +fight they surely did. + +Night came, and under cover of the darkness the wearied soldiers cared +for the wounded. Placed in the cleared center of the circle, a rude wall +of sacks of flour was built around them. Here, enduring agonies of +thirst, for not a drop of water could be obtained, they lay listening to +the fiendish yells of the enemy--a poor cure for wounds and burning +thirst. + +When the necessary arrangements for the night had been completed and +provision made against a night attack, Bouquet, doubtful of surviving +the morrow's battle, wrote to Sir Jeffrey Amherst a brief and concise +account of the day's fight. His report ends with these words: + +"... As, in case of another engagement, I fear insurmountable, +difficulties in protecting and transporting our provisions, being +already so much weakened by the losses of this day, in men and horses, +besides the additional necessity of carrying the wounded, whose +situation is truly deplorable." + +Even before morning light, the beastly, impatient cries of the Indians +began to be heard on every side, soon accompanied by a deadly fire. As +on the preceding day the return fire had little effect, for the savages +silently vanished at the gleam of leveled bayonets. But at ten o'clock +the ring remained unbroken though the troops were already fatigued and +were now crazed by torments of thirst, "more intolerable than the +enemy's fire." The horses, often struck and completely terrified, now +broke away by scores and madly galloped up and down the neighboring +hills. The ranks were constantly thinning. It was plain to all that a +decisive and immediate bold stroke must be made. + +The commander was equal to the emergency! The confidence of the foe had +grown so overbearing that Bouquet determined to stake everything upon +the very recklessness of his enemies. The portion of the circle which +immediately fronted the Indians, and which was composed of light +infantry, was ordered to feign retreat. As this movement was +accomplished, a thin line of men was thrown across the deserted +position from the sides, drawing in close to the convoy. Thinking this +to be a retreat, which the new line had been summoned to cover, the +Indians, with cutting screams, jumped out from every side and rushed +headlong toward the centre of the circle. Then, suddenly upon their rear +poured the light infantry, which had made a marvelous detour through the +woods. With a frightful bayonet charge and with highland yells as +piercing as those of the Indians, the grenadiers, flushed with victory, +drove the terrified savages through the forests. In the twinkling of an +eye the outcries of the savages ceased altogether and not a living foe +remained. Sixty Indian corpses lay scattered about the camp. Only one +captive was taken and he was riddled with English bullets. The loss of +the English amounted to eight officers and one hundred and fifteen men. +This was the first English victory over the Indians of the central West. +Fort Necessity, Braddock's Field, and Grant's Hill were now avenged. It +was a late victory but was far better late than never. Fort Pitt was +relieved. + +[Illustration] + +What Forbes's Road was to Pittsburg and the West in the Old French War +and in Pontiac's Rebellion it was in the Revolutionary days, 1775-83. +For thirty years after it was built it was the main highway across the +mountains. It is impossible to estimate the worth of this straight +roadway to the Ohio; had Forbes followed Braddock's Road to Fort Pitt, +western travel ever after would have been at the mercy of the two +rivers, the Youghiogheny and Monongahela, which that road crosses. In +the winter months it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to +have kept open communication between a line of forts and blockhouses on +Braddock's Road. This was done on Forbes's Road throughout the half +century of conflict. + +At the opening of the Revolutionary War, the continental war office +being at Philadelphia, Forbes's Road became more strategic than ever in +its history. It was now known as the "Pennsylvania Road," and was the +direct route to the military center of the West, Fort Pitt. Braddock's +Road--now known as the "Virginia Road"--was the main route from +Virginia and Maryland. In the dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania +for the region of which Fort Pitt was the center, the two routes thither +were the avenues of the two contending factions. With the drowning of +this quarrel in the momentous struggle precipitated in 1775, Forbes's +Road at once became preeminently important. Cattle and goods were +frequently sent over Braddock's Road as far as Brownsville and forwarded +by water to Fort Pitt and the American forts on the Ohio. But far +greater was the activity on Forbes's Road. Forts Bedford and Ligonier, +and a score of fortified cabins at such points as Turtle Creek, +Sewickly, Bullock Pens, Widow Myers, Proctors, Brush Run, Reyburn's, and +Hannastown served to guard the main thoroughfare to the Ohio. Between +these points scouts were continually hurrying, and over the narrow +roadway passed the wagons and pack-horses laden with ammunition and +stores. Hannastown and Ligonier became the important _entrepots_ between +Carlisle and Fort Pitt in the Revolution. Carlisle was the important +eastern depot of troops and ammunition from which both eastern and +western commanders received supplies.[77] Garrisons along the +Pennsylvania Road were ordered at the close of the war to report at +Carlisle for their pay.[78] Hannastown, thirty miles east of Fort Pitt +and three miles northeast of the present Greensburg, was the first +collection of huts on the Pennsylvania Road between Bedford and +Pittsburg dignified by the name of a town. At the breaking out of the +Revolution it was the most important settlement in all Westmoreland +County save only those about Forts Pitt and Ligonier. "These huts +scattered along the narrow pack-horse track among the monster trees of +the ancient forest, was that Hannastown, which occupied such a prominent +place in the early history of Western Pennsylvania where was held the +first court west of the Alleghany where the resolves of May 16, 1775, +were passed."[79] From this rude little cluster of huts on Forbes's +Road, deep in the Allegheny mountains, came one of the first and most +spirited protests against British tyranny. From such sparks the flames +of revolution were soon fanned. Hannastown "was burned last Saturday +afternoon," wrote General Irvine to Secretary of War Lincoln, July 16, +1782; "... that place is about thirty-five miles in the rear of Fort +Pitt, on the main road leading to Philadelphia, generally called the +Pennsylvania [Forbes's] road. The Virginia [Braddock's] road is yet +open, but how long it will continue so is uncertain, as this stroke has +alarmed the whole country beyond conception." + +In winter the road was almost impassable; Brodhead wrote Richard Peters: +"The great Depth of Snow upon the Alleghany and Laurel Hills have +prevented our Getting every kind of Stores, nor do I expect to get any +now until the latter End of April."[80] General Irvine wrote his wife +January 8, 1782: "If the road was fit for sleighing I could now go down +(to Carlisle) snugly, but it is quite impracticable; it is barely +passable on horseback." Fort Pitt was invariably supplied with regular +troops from Lancaster or Carlisle, which marched over the Pennsylvania +Road.[81] + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE PENNSYLVANIA ROAD + + +Such had become the importance of the Pennsylvania Road that, soon after +the Revolutionary struggle, Pennsylvania took active steps to improve +it. On the twenty-first day of September an act of the Assembly of +Pennsylvania gave birth to the great thoroughfare at first called "The +Western Road to Pittsburg," and familiarly known since as the Pittsburg +or the Chambersburg-Pittsburg Pike.[82] This state road was, as +heretofore recorded, one hundred and ninety-seven miles in length from +Carlisle to Pittsburg. The road built in 1785-87 follows practically the +course of the present highway between the same points. Here and there +the traveler may see the olden track a few rods distant on his right or +left; at points it lies several miles to the south. The present +Pittsburg Pike passes through Greensburg, while old Hannastown on +Forbes's Road lies three miles to the northwest. The old route was a +little less careful as to hills than the new, and made a straighter line +across the country; the telephone companies have taken advantage of this +and send their wires along the easily discerned track of the old road at +many points. There is no point perhaps where the old road of 1785 is so +plainly to be remarked as on the side of the upper end of Long Hollow +Run, Napier township, Bedford County, a few miles west of historic +little Bedford.[83] + +The Pennsylvania Road and its important branch, the "Turkey Foot" Road +to the Youghiogheny, became one of the important highways to the Ohio +basin in the pioneer era. With the digging of the Pennsylvania canal up +the valley of the Juniata, the Pennsylvania Road became less important +until it became what it is today, a merely local thoroughfare. For the +last two decades in the eighteenth century, the Pennsylvania Road held a +preeminent position--days when a good road westward meant everything to +the West. But the road could never be again what it was in the savage +days of '58, '63 and '75-'82, when it was the one fortified route to the +Ohio. The need for Forbes's Road passed when Forts Loudoun, Bedford, +Ligonier, and Pitt were demolished. While they were standing, the open +pathway between them meant everything to their defenders and to the +farmers and woodsmen about them. But it meant almost as much to the +fortresses far beyond in the wilderness of the Ohio Valley--Forts +McIntosh, Patrick Henry, Harmar, Finney, and Washington. The vast +proportion of stores and ammunition for the defenders of the Black +Forest of the West passed over Forbes's Road, and its story is linked +more closely than we can now realize with the occupation and the winning +of the West. + +Mr. McMaster has an interesting paragraph on Forbes's Road in pioneer +days: + +"From Philadelphia ran out a road to what was then the far West. Its +course after leaving the city lay through the counties of Chester and +Lancaster, then sparsely settled, now thick with towns and cities and +penetrated with innumerable railways, and went over the Blue Ridge +mountains to Shippensburg and the little town of Bedford. Thence it +wound through the beautiful hills of western Pennsylvania, and crossed +the Alleghany mountains to the head-waters of the Ohio. It was known to +travelers as the northern route, and was declared to be execrable. In +reality it was merely a passable road, broad and level in the lowlands, +narrow and dangerous in the passes of the mountains, and beset with +steep declivities. Yet it was the chief highway between the Mississippi +valley and the East, and was constantly travelled in the summer months +by thousands of emigrants to the western country, and by long trains of +wagons bringing the produce of the little farms on the banks of the Ohio +to the markets of Philadelphia and Baltimore. In any other section of +the country a road so frequented would have been considered as +eminently pleasant and safe. But some years later the traveler who was +forced to make the journey from Philadelphia to Pittsburg in his +carriage and four, beheld with dread the cloud of dust which marked the +slow approach of a train of wagons. For nothing excited the anger of the +sturdy teamsters more than the sight of a carriage. To them it was the +unmistakable mark of aristocracy, and they were indeed in a particularly +good humor when they suffered the despised vehicle to draw up by the +road-side without breaking the shaft, or taking off the wheels, or +tumbling it over into the ditch. His troubles over, the traveler found +himself at a small hamlet, then known as Pittsburg."[84] + +Forbes's Road, strictly speaking, began at Bedford, as Braddock's Road +began at Cumberland. In these pages the main route from +Philadelphia--the Pennsylvania Road--has been considered under the head +of Forbes's Road. The eastern extremity of this thoroughfare, or the +portion, sixty-six miles in length, between Philadelphia and Lancaster, +became the first macadamized road in the United States and demands +particular attention in another volume of this series[85]. + +Nothing could have been more surprising to the writer than to find how +remarkably this road held its own in competition with the Braddock or +the Cumberland Road south of it. Explain it as you will, nine-tenths of +the published accounts left by travelers of the old journey from +Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington into the Ohio Valley describe +this Pennsylvania route. The Cumberland Road was built from Cumberland, +Maryland to Wheeling, West Virginia, on the Ohio (1806-1818) at a cost +of nearly two million dollars, yet during the entire first half of that +century you will find that almost every important writer who passed over +the mountains went over the Pennsylvania Road. It is exceedingly +difficult to find a graphic picture of a journey over Braddock's Road +before 1800; contemporaneous descriptions of a journey over the +Cumberland or National Road are not numerous. On the other hand a +volume could be filled with descriptions of the old Pennsylvania Road +through Bedford and Ligonier. I believe the fame of the Cumberland Road +was due rather to the fact of its being a national enterprise--and the +first of its kind on the continent--than to any superiority it achieved +over competing routes. The idea of the road was grand and it played a +mighty part in the advancement of the West; but, such was the nature of +its course, that it does not seem to have been the "popular route" from +Washington to Pittsburg, the principal port on the Ohio River. + +The Pennsylvania Road was the most important link between New England +and the Ohio Valley in the days when New England was sending the bravest +of its sons to become the pioneers of the rising empire in the West. +True, Venable has written: + + "The footsteps of a hundred years + Have echoed, since o'er Braddock's Road, + Bold Putnam and the Pioneers + Led History the way they strode. + + "On wild Monongahela's stream + They launched the Mayflower of the West, + A perfect state their civic dream, + A new New World their pilgrim quest." + +It is due to the Pennsylvania Road, however, to correct the history of +these lofty strains. Putnam and his pioneers did not travel one step on +Braddock's Road, nor did they launch their boats on wild Monongahela's +stream. They came over the worn track of Forbes's Road through Carlisle +and Bedford, proceeding southwest through the "Glades" to the +Youghiogheny River at West Newton, Pennsylvania.[86] + +Braddock's Road would have been exceedingly roundabout for New England +travelers, as Forbes long before clearly established. Pennsylvania's new +road, begun in 1785, was not a tempting route of travel for these New +Englanders in this year, 1788. "The roads, at that day," wrote Dr. +Hildreth, "across the mountains were the worst we can imagine--cut into +deep gullies on one side by mountain rains, while the other was filled +with blocks of sand stone.... As few of the emigrant wagons were +provided with lock-chains for the wheels, the downward impetus was +checked by a large log, or broken tree top, tied with a rope to the back +of the wagon and dragged along on the ground. In other places, the road +was so sideling that all the men who could be spared were required to +pull at the side stays, or short ropes attached to the upper side of the +wagons, to prevent their upsetting.... All this part of the country, and +as far east as Carlisle, had been, about twenty-five years before, +depopulated by the depredations of the Indians. Many of the present +inhabitants well remembered those days of trial, and could not see these +helpless women and children moving so far away into the wilderness as +Ohio, without expressing their fears.... Three days after ... they +reached the little village of Bedford. During this period they had +crossed "Sideling Hill," forded some of the main branches of the +Juniata, and threaded the narrow valleys along its borders. Every few +miles long strings of pack-horses met them on the road, bearing heavy +burthens of peltry and ginseng, the two main articles of export from the +regions west of the mountains. Others overtook them loaded with kegs of +spirits, salt, and bales of dry goods, on their way to the traders in +Pittsburg.... Four miles beyond Bedford, the road to the right was +called the "Pittsburg Road," while that to the left was called the +"Glade Road," and led to Simrel's ferry, on the Yohiogany river. This +was the route of the emigrants...." + +This imperfect glimpse of these "founders of Ohio" toiling over the +Pennsylvania Road in 1788 on their way to Marietta--the vanguard of that +Ohio Company which made possible the "sublime" Ordinance of 1787--is +striking proof that this pathway was the link between the old and the +new New England. + +The Pennsylvania Road was also a common route from Baltimore and +Washington; it was Arthur Lee's route to Pittsburg in 1784,[87] and Col. +John May's route from Baltimore to Pittsburg in 1788.[88] Francis Baily, +F.R.S., President of the Royal Astronomical Society of England, was +one of the well-known Englishmen who left a record of experiences on +this pioneer highway. In 1796 this gentleman started upon a tour from +Washington to Pittsburg. He mentions no other route than the one he +traversed, and it is altogether probable that he pursued the most +popular. On October 7 he left Washington, and, passing through +Fredericktown, Hagerstown, and Chambersburg, met the Pennsylvania Road +at McConnellstown, and traveled westward on it to Pittsburg.[89] That +Mr. Baily pursued the main route westward there can be no doubt. An +entry in his _Journal_ for October 11 reads: "Chambersburg is ... a +large and flourishing place, not inferior to Frederick's-town or +Hagar's-town; being, like them, on the high road to the western country, +it enjoys all the advantages which arise from such a continual body of +people as are perpetually emigrating thither." + +The celebrated Morris Birkbeck, founder of the English settlement in +Illinois, journeyed from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburg, in 1817, by way +of Frederickstown and Hagerstown and the Pennsylvania Road. At +"McConnell's Town," under the date of May 23, he wrote in his journal: +"The road we have been travelling [from Washington, D. C.] terminates at +this place, where it strikes the great turnpike from Philadelphia to +Pittsburg."[90] Of the scenes about him Mr. Birkbeck writes:[91] "Old +America seems to be breaking up, and moving westward. We are seldom out +of sight, as we travel on this grand track, towards the Ohio, of family +groups.... To give an idea of the internal movements of this vast hive, +about 12,000 wagons passed between Baltimore and Philadelphia, in the +last year, with from four to six, carrying from thirty-five to forty +cwt. The cost of carriage is about seven dollars per cwt., from +Philadelphia to Pittsburg, and the money paid for the conveyance of +goods on this road, exceeds L300,000 sterling. Add to these the numerous +stages loaded to the utmost, and the innumerable travellers, on +horseback, on foot, and in light waggons, and you have before you a +scene of bustle and business, extending over a space of three hundred +miles, which is truly wonderful." Birkbeck does not mention the +Cumberland Road, though it is drawn on the map accompanying his book. +His advice to prospective immigrants is, in every instance, to come +westward by the Pennsylvania Road.[92] + +W. Faux, the English farmer who came to America to examine Birkbeck's +scheme went westward by Braddock's (Cumberland) Road.[93] He returned to +the East, however, by the Pennsylvania Road. In examining the works of a +score of English travelers this was the only one I happened to find who +had gone westward over the Cumberland Road. Later travelers, as Charles +Augustus Murray, Martineau, and Dickens passed westward over the +Pennsylvania Canal and incline railway. + +No sooner did this northern canal route and railway rob the Pennsylvania +and Cumberland roads of much business, than the Baltimore and Ohio +Railway, in turn, took it away from the canal. The building of the +railway was one of the epoch-making events in our national history; "I +consider this among the most important acts of my life," affirmed the +venerable Charles Carroll, the Maryland commissioner for the railway, +"second only to my signing the Declaration of Independence, if even it +be second to that."[94] + +For a number of years the Baltimore and Ohio Railway--the heir and +assign of Braddock's Road and the famed Cumberland Road--was the great +avenue of western movement and progress. But brain and muscle, even +genius, cannot make two miles one mile. The shortest route across the +continent was, inevitably, to become the important highway. It must be +remembered that in the early days Philadelphia was the metropolis of +America, and Baltimore its chief rival. As long as these cities held the +balance of power and trade, a southerly route to Pittsburg, such as that +of Braddock's Road, then the Cumberland Road and, finally, the Baltimore +and Ohio Railway would be successful. But with the vast strides made by +New York, the center of power stole northward until no route to the Ohio +could compete with the most direct westward line from New York and +Philadelphia. + +The question then became the same old-time problem which Forbes met and +decided. The straightest possible line of communication between +Philadelphia and Pittsburg was equally necessary in 1860 and in 1760. +The only difference was that made necessary by the doing away with the +heavy grades of pioneer roads and following the water courses. + +The result was the Pennsylvania Railroad--and its motto is full of +significance, "Look at the Map." There is to be found the secret of its +splendid success. The distance from Philadelphia to Pittsburg on the +Baltimore and Ohio Railway (Connellsville route) is four hundred and +thirty-eight miles. The distance between Philadelphia and Pittsburg on +the Pennsylvania Railroad is three hundred and fifty-four miles--a +saving of eighty-four miles. These railways do not follow the old +highway routes closely but they mark their general alignment and are +frequently close beside them. + +"Look at the map" was practically Forbes's challenge to those who +disputed his judgment a century and a half ago when he determined to +build a straight road from the heart of the colonies to the strategic +key of the Ohio Valley. His wisdom has been triumphantly confirmed in +the present generation. + + + + +FOOTNOTES: + + +[1] Affirmation of Shawanese to the Indian trader, John Walker; see Sir +John St. Clair's letter, p. 86 ff. + +[2] _Historic Highways of America_, vol. vi, ch. I. + +[3] Darlington's _Christopher Gist's Journals_, p. 32. + +[4] _Id._, pp. 32, 33. + +[5] _Pennsylvania Colonial Records_, vol. v, p. 750. + +[6] Darlington's _Christopher Gist's Journals_, p. 33. + +[7] _Id._, (notes), p. 91. Cf. Errett in _Magazine of Western History_, +May 1885, p. 53. + +[8] _Id._, (notes), pp. 91-92. + +[9] Later the site of Fort Shirley, Shirleysburg, Huntington County. See +_Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania_, vol. ii, p. 457. + +[10] Menchtown, at the foot of Ray's Hill. + +[11] Mt. Dallas. + +[12] Bedford. + +[13] Mile Hill, one mile east of Schellsburg, Bedford County. + +[14] Buckstown, Somerset County. + +[15] Quemahoning--"Stoney Creek." + +[16] Ligonier, Westmoreland County. + +[17] Delaware Indian village of some twenty huts situated in that part +of Pittsburg contained between Penn Avenue, Thirtieth Street and Two +Mile Run in the Twelfth Ward, along the shore of the Allegheny. + +[18] Cf. _Forbes-Bouquet_, pp. 102-108. + +[19] Proved by comparison with Dana's _Description of the Bounty Lands +in the State of Illinois; also the principal Roads and Routes_, pp. 55, +96. + +[20] For course of Indian path by compass see _Colonial Records_, vol. +v, p. 750, 751; for route of state road by compass see _Id._, vol. xvi, +pp. 466-477. + +[21] _Pennsylvania Archives_, vol. ii, p. 132. + +[22] The branch which left the main trail here led northwest to the +Kiskiminitas River and down that river to Kiskiminitas Old Town at Old +Town Run, seven miles distant from the Allegheny River. In the survey of +the main trail previously referred to (note 20) we read: "N. 64, W. 12 +Miles to Loyal Hanin Old Town; N. 20. W. 10 Miles to the Forks of the +Road." The discrepancy is so great as to lead one to think there were +two routes from "Loyal Haning" to "the parting of the Road." + +[23] _Pennsylvania Archives_, vol. ii, p, 135. + +[24] Pennsylvania _Colonial Records_, vol. vi, p. 300. + +[25] _Id._, p. 302. + +[26] _Id._, p. 318. + +[27] _Id._, p. 377. + +[28] _Id._, p. 403. + +[29] _Id._, p. 404. + +[30] Sioussat's "Highway Legislation in Maryland," _Maryland Geological +Survey_ (special publication), vol. iii, part iii, p. 136. + +[31] Pennsylvania _Colonial Records_, pp. 434, 435. + +[32] _Id._, p. 435. + +[33] _Id._, p. 431. + +[34] _Id._, p. 446. + +[35] _Id._, p. 452. + +[36] _Id._, pp. 431, 460. + +[37] _Id._, p. 485. + +[38] _Id._, p. 493. + +[39] _Id._, p. 499. + +[40] For road-cutters' claim of L5000, see Pennsylvania _Colonial +Records_, vol. vi, pp. 523, 620-621. + +[41] _Land Records of Allegheny County, Maryland_, Liber D, fol. 225. + +[42] _Id._, p. 561. + +[43] See Davies's Sermon, _Virginia's Danger and Remedy_, (Glasgow, +1756) 2d ed., p. 6; Cort's _Colonel Henry Bouquet_, p. 74; London +_Public Advertiser_, October 3, 1755; _Bouquet au Forbes_, July 31, +1758, p. 113; "I know of only one remedy for the frightful indolence of +the officers of these provinces, which would be to drum one out in the +presence of the whole army"--_Bouquet au Forbes_, July 1758; _Bouquet +Papers_, 21, 640, fol. 95. Bury: _Exodus of the Western Nations_, vol. +ii, pp. 250-251. + +[44] Pennsylvania _Colonial Records_, vol. vi, p. 503. + +[45] _Morris to Braddock_, July 3, 1755. + +[46] _Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania_, vol. i, pp. 4, 5. + +[47] Cabins fortified by their owners and neighbors. + +[48] _Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania_, vol. i, p. 558. + +[49] Braddock's Road cannot be considered as a wagon road at this time; +long before hostilities had ceased it had become impassable for wagons. + +[50] _Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania_, vol. i, p. 536. + +[51] _Historic Highways of America_, vol. ii, p. 85. + +[52] _Pennsylvania Archives_, vol. iii, p. 119. + +[53] Parkman: _Montcalm and Wolfe_, vol. ii, p. 41. + +[54] _Montcalm and Wolfe_, vol. ii, p. 132. + +[55] See note 60. + +[56] This, as with all succeeding quotations from the correspondence of +Bouquet, Forbes, and St. Clair, was copied by the writer from the +originals in the _Bouquet Papers_ in the British Museum. + +[57] The main route westward was, the year before, in poor condition +between Philadelphia and Bedford. _Loudon to Denny_, Pennsylvania +Archives, iii, pp. 278-279. + +[58] _Forbes to Pitt_, October 20, 1758. + +[59] By Hildreth and others. + +[60] _Forbes to Governor Denny_ (of Pennsylvania), March 20, 1758: +Pennsylvania Records, N, p. 206. + +[61] Note 43, first reference. + +[62] Cf. _Historic Highways of America_, vol. iv, p. 192. + +[63] Fort Frederick-Fort Cumberland route. + +[64] Braddock's Road. + +[65] Sparks: _Writings of Washington_, vol. ii, p. 295. + +[66] _Id._, p. 298. + +[67] Bouquet never exaggerates the difficulties that would attend Forbes +if he chose to march by Fort Cumberland. + +[68] Sparks: _Writings of Washington_, (1834) vol. ii, p. 300, note. + +[69] Quotations from Washington's correspondence can be identified by +dates in Sparks's _Writings of Washington_. + +[70] _Forbes to Bouquet_, August 28, 1756. + +[71] Sparks: _Writings of Washington_ (1834), vol. ii, p. 308, note. + +[72] Washington's jealousy of Virginia's welfare appeared in 1755 when +the question of Braddock's route from Alexandria to Fort Cumberland +arose. It would seem to us today that conditions in Virginia must have +been pitiable if the marching of an army through the colony could have +been considered in any way a boon. Yet such was Washington's attitude in +1755 toward the Governor of Maryland's new road. In a letter to Lord +Fairfax dated May 5, 1755, Washington objected to Dunbar's regiment +marching to Cumberland by way of Frederick, Maryland; in a letter to +Major Carlisle written from Fort Cumberland May 14, 1755, he ridicules +the route: "Dunbar had to recross [the Potomac] at Connogagee +[Williamsport, Maryland] and come down [into Virginia]--laughable +enough." + +[73] As to the correctness of Forbes's statement see _Bougainville au +Cremille_, Pennsylvania Archives (2d series), vol. vi, p. 425; also +_Daine au Marechal de Belleisle_, _id._, pp. 420, 423. + +[74] _Armstrong to Richard Peters._ Pennsylvania Archives, vol. iii, p. +552. + +[75] Parkman: _Montcalm and Wolfe_, vol. ii, p. 162. + +[76] Entick: _History of the Late War_ (1763), vol. iii, p. 263, note. + +[77] _Lincoln to Irvine_, July 25, 1782. + +[78] _Id._, June 23. 1783. + +[79] Egle's _History of Pennsylvania_, pp. 1153, 1154. + +[80] _Pennsylvania Archives_, vol. viii, p. 120. + +[81] _Brig. Gen. Hazen to Irvine_, September 21, 1782. + +[82] _Colonial Records_, vol. xv, pp. 13, 121, 273, 274, 322, 326-327, +330, 331-337, 346, 359, 431, 519, 594, 599, 635; vol. xvi, pp. 466-477. + +[83] Several items of interest to students of Forbes's Road will be +found in _History of the County of Westmorland, Pennsylvania_, pp. +28-31. + +[84] McMaster's _History of the People of the United States_, vol. i, +pp. 67, 68. + +[85] _Historic Highways of America_, vol. xi. + +[86] Darlington's note in Edes's _Journal and Letters of Col. John May, +of Boston_, p. 31; Dr. S. P. Hildreth: _Early Immigration_, p. 124. + +[87] _The Olden Time_, vol. ii., p. 335. + +[88] _Journal and Letters of Col. John May_, p. 30. + +[89] _Journal of a Tour in Unsettled Parts of North America_, London +1856, pp. 129-143. + +[90] _Notes on a Journey in America_, 3d edition, 1818, p. 30. + +[91] _Id._, pp. 31, 36. + +[92] _Letters from Illinois_ (London 1818), pp. 52, 77; _Additional +Extracts_, p. 111. + +[93] _Memorable Days in America_ (London 1823), p. 164. + +[94] _History and Description of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad_, 1853, +p. 20. + + + * * * * * + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_. + +2. Obvious errors in spelling and punctuation have been corrected. + +3. Footnotes have been moved to the end of the main text body. + +4. Images have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the closest +paragraph break. + +5. Certain words use an oe ligature in the original. + +6. Carat character (^) followed by a single letter or a set of letters +in curly brackets is indicative of subscript in the original book. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Historic Highways of America (Vol. 5), by +Archer Butler Hulbert + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41118 *** |